Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Sunnah and Hadiths

I am still trying to understand Islam and it's like trying to mush all the Christian denominations into a short, accurate, approved summary of what is required to be a "True Christian". 

I went to buy a copy of the Sunnah.  Forget About It.  I have to decide "Which version would you like?"  Are you sure you don't want to go right to the Hadiths?"  "Which hadiths does your sect ascribe to?"

Sunni vs Shi'ite.  Fight Guys Fight!

"The Arabic word Sunnah has come to denote the way Prophet Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, lived his life. The Sunnah is the second source of Islamic jurisprudence, the first being the Qur’an. Both sources are indispensable; one cannot practice Islam without consulting both of them.

The Arabic word hadith (pl. ahadith) is very similar to Sunnah, but not identical. A hadith is a narration about the life of the Prophet or what he approved - as opposed to his life itself, which is the Sunnah as already mentioned.

 In M. M. Azami's Studies in Hadith Methodology and Literature, the following precise definition of a hadith is given:  According to the Muhaddithiin [scholars of hadith -ed.] it stands for 'what was transmitted on the authority of the Prophet, his deeds, sayings, tacit approval, or description of his sifaat (features) meaning his physical appearance. However, physical appearance of the Prophet is not included in the definition used by the jurists."     (Makes sense, huh?)

"Thus hadith literature means the literature, which consists of the narrations of the life of the Prophet and the things approved by him. However, the term was used sometimes in much broader sense to cover the narrations about the Companions [of the Prophet -ed.] and Successors [to the Companions -ed.] as well.
The explosion of Islam in the 7th and 8th centuries confronted Islamic scholars with a daunting task: to preserve the knowledge of the Sunnah of the Prophet. Hence the science of hadith evaluation was born."
 The promise of Allah
 "The promise made by Allah in Qur'an 15:9 is obviously fulfilled in the undisputed purity of the Qur'anic text throughout the fourteen centuries since its revelation. However, what is often forgotten by many Muslims is that the divine promise also includes, by necessity, the Sunnah of the Prophet, because the Sunnah is the practical example of the implementation of the Qur'anic guidance, the wisdom taught to the Prophet along with the scripture, and neither the Qur'an nor the Sunnah can be understood correctly without the other.
Allah preserved the Sunnah by enabling the companions and those after them to memorize, write down and pass on the statements of the Prophet, and the descriptions of his way, as well as to continue the blessings of practicing the Sunnah.

Later, as the purity of the knowledge of the Sunnah became threatened, Allah caused the Muslim Ummah to produce individuals with exceptional memory skills and analytical expertise, who travelled tirelessly to collect thousands of narrations and distinguish the true words of prophetic wisdom from those corrupted by weak memories, from forgeries by unscrupulous liars, and from the statements of the large number of Ulama (scholars), the companions and those who followed their way. All of this was achieved through precise attention to the words narrated, and detailed familiarity with the biographies of the thousands of reporters of hadith."

There, I hope that clears everything up. 

Obviously there is one true church...the one I go to.

What Is “Sharia Law”? It’s Complicated…


What Is “Sharia Law”?   It’s Complicated…

My wife asked me what is sharia law?  After fumbling around with my “sort of” knowledge of the subject, I went to Google and Wikipedia to see if I could find a good description that would help me differentiate between radical Islamists and regular Muslims. 

I found gobs of information, but no easy, succinct way to describe sharia law or the difference between “regular” Muslims and “radical” Muslims.  Seems most “regulars” as well as radicals” would cut off heads and stone women under certain circumstances. (I figure a Radical Islamist is one who hasn’t physically attacked anyone yet and thereby become a “terrorist”.)

Here are some excerpts from what I read about sharia law.  If you have an accurate definition of  a radical Islamist vs. a regular Muslim, please send it to me.

 Wikipedia Cut and Pasted and edited by Ted:

“Sharia is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia deals with many topics addressed by secular law, including crime, politics, and economics, as well as personal matters such as sexual intercourse, hygiene, diet, prayer, and fasting. Though interpretations of sharia vary between cultures, in its strictest definition it is considered the infallible law of God—as opposed to the human interpretation of the laws.
Ted thinks these four sources converge to define Sharia Law:
The Quran, The Sunnah, The Judges and A Community Consensus

There are two primary sources of sharia law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah.

Where it has official status, sharia is interpreted by Islamic judges (qadis) with varying responsibilities for the religious leaders (imams).

For questions not directly addressed in the primary sources, the application of sharia is extended through consensus of the religious scholars (ulama) thought to embody the consensus of the Muslim Community (ijma).

The introduction of sharia is a longstanding goal for Islamist movements globally, including in Western countries, but attempts to impose sharia have been accompanied by controversy, violence, and even warfare. Most countries do not recognize sharia; however, some countries in Asia, Africa and Europe recognize sharia and use it as the basis for divorce, inheritance and other personal affairs of their Islamic population. In Britain, the Muslim Arbitration Tribunal makes use of sharia family law to settle disputes, and this limited adoption of sharia is controversial.

The concept of crime, judicial process, justice and punishment embodied in sharia is different from that of secular law. The differences between sharia and secular laws have led to an on-going controversy as to whether sharia is compatible with secular democracy, freedom of thought, and women's rights.

In secular jurisprudence, sharia is classified as religious law, which is one of the three major categories that individual legal systems generally fall under, alongside civil law and common law.

Definitions and Descriptions

Sharia, in its strictest definition, is a divine law, as expressed in the Quran and Muhammad's example (often called the sunnah). As such, it is related to but different from fiqh, which is emphasized as the human interpretation of the law. Many scholars have pointed out that the sharia is not formally a code, nor a well-defined set of rules. The sharia is characterized as a discussion on the duties of Muslims based on both the opinion of the Muslim community and extensive literature. …the sharia is "long, diverse, and complicated."

From the 9th century, the power to interpret and refine law in traditional Islamic societies was in the hands of the scholars (ulema). This separation of powers served to limit the range of actions available to the ruler, who could not easily decree or reinterpret law independently and expect the continued support of the community. Through succeeding centuries and empires, the balance between the ulema and the rulers shifted and reformed, but the balance of power was never decisively changed.

At the beginning of the nineteenth century, the Industrial Revolution and the French Revolution introduced an era of European world hegemony that included the domination of most of the lands of Islam. At the end of the Second World War, the European powers found themselves too weakened to maintain their empires. The wide variety of forms of government, systems of law, attitudes toward modernity and interpretations of sharia are a result of the ensuing drives for independence and modernity in the Muslim world.
Anthropological research shows that people in local communities often do not distinguish clearly whether and to what extent their norms and practices are based on local tradition, tribal custom, or religion. Those who adhere to a confrontational view of sharia tend to ascribe many undesirable practices to sharia and religion overlooking custom and culture, even if high-ranking religious authorities have stated the opposite



From here on you might find too much information.  More than you want or need.  But I found it interesting; and so I have included it in this post:

History

The origin of sharia is the Quran, and traditions gathered from the life of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad (born ca. 570 CE in Mecca).

Sharia underwent fundamental development, beginning with the reigns of caliphs Abu Bakr (632–634) and Umar (634–644), during which time many questions were brought to the attention of Muhammad's closest comrades for consultation.

During the reign of Muawiya b. Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, 662 CE, Islam undertook an urban transformation, raising questions not originally covered by Islamic law. Since then, changes in Islamic society have played an ongoing role in developing sharia, which branches out into fiqh and Qanun respectively.

The formative period of fiqh stretches back to the time of the early Muslim communities.  In this period, jurists were more concerned with pragmatic issues of authority and teaching than with theory.  Progress in theory happened with the coming of the early Muslim jurist Muhammad ibn Idris ash-Shafi'i (767–820), who laid down the basic principles of Islamic jurisprudence in his book Al-Risala. The book details the four roots of law (Quran, Sunnah, ijma, and qiyas) while specifying that the primary Islamic texts (the Quran and the hadith) be understood according to objective rules of interpretation derived from careful study of the Arabic language.  A number of important legal concepts and institutions were developed by Islamic jurists during the classical period of Islam, known as the Islamic Golden Age, dated from the 7th to 13th centuries.

Among some Muslims, tribal laws were adapted to conform to sharia "for they could not form part of the tribal law unless and until they were generally accepted as such." Additionally, Noel James Coulson, Lecturer in Islamic law of the University of London, states that "to the tribe as a whole belonged the power to determine the standards by which its members should live. But here the tribe is conceived not merely as the group of its present representatives but as a historical entity embracing past, present, and future generations." So, while "each and every law must be rooted in either the Quran or the Sunnah," without contradiction, tribal life brought about a sense of participation. Such participation was further reinforced by Muhammad who stated, "My community will never agree in error".

The Umayyads initiated the office of appointing qadis, or Islamic judges. The jurisdiction of the qadi extended only to Muslims, while non-Muslim populations retained their own legal institutions. The qadis were usually pious specialists in Islam. As these grew in number, they began to theorize and systemize Islamic jurisprudence. The Abbasid made the institution of qadi independent from the government, but this separation wasn't always respected.

Both the Umayyad caliph Umar II and the Abbasids had agreed that the caliph could not legislate contrary to the Quran or the sunnah. Imam Shafi'i declared: "a tradition from the Prophet must be accepted as soon as it become known...If there has been an action on the part of a caliph, and a tradition from the Prophet to the contrary becomes known later, that action must be discarded in favor of the tradition from the Prophet." Thus, under the Abbasids the main features of sharia were definitively established and sharia was recognized as the law of behavior for Muslims.

During the 19th century, the history of Islamic law took a sharp turn due to new challenges the Muslim world faced: the West had risen to a global power and colonized a large part of the world, including Muslim territories. In the Western world, societies changed from the agricultural to the industrial stage, new social and political ideas emerged, and social models slowly shifted from hierarchical towards egalitarian. The Ottoman Empire and the rest of the Muslim world were in decline, and calls for reform became louder.

In Muslim countries, codified state law started replacing the role of scholarly legal opinion. Western countries sometimes inspired, sometimes pressured, and sometimes forced Muslim states to change their laws. Secularist movements pushed for laws deviating from the opinions of the Islamic legal scholars. Islamic legal scholarship remained the sole authority for guidance in matters of rituals, worship, and spirituality, while they lost authority to the state in other areas.

The Muslim community became divided into groups reacting differently to the change: secularists believe that the law of the state should be based on secular principles, not on Islamic legal doctrines; traditionalists believe that the law of the state should be based on the traditional legal schools; reformers believe that new Islamic legal theories can produce modernized Islamic law and lead to acceptable opinions in areas such as women's rights. This division persists until the present day.

There has been a growing religious revival in Islam, beginning in the eighteenth century and continuing today. This movement has expressed itself in various forms ranging from wars to efforts towards improving education.

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Advantages to Owning Property in Florida


I received an email from one of my Realtor colleagues about the advantages to  living in Florida.  It is good information:
"Dear Ted,

Florida has it's advantages.  I thought you should know about them. 
  • No Income Tax
  • No Capital Gains Tax
  • No Inheritance Tax
  • Homestead Exemption on Principal Residences.
  • $50,000 Homestead Exemption.  Every person who has legal title to a residential property and lives there permanently as of January 1 of current year qualifies for this exemption. You may apply in person at any time through the year, but the deadline is March 1 of the qualifying year.
  • $500 Widow/Widower Exemption.  A widow or widower who is a legal and permanent resident of Florida qualifies for this exemption.
  • $500 Disability Exemption.  People who are permanently disabled are eligible for this exemption.
  • $5000 Disabled Veterans Exemption.  U.S. Military personnel with a service-connected disability of 10% or more are entitled to this exemption.
  • A veterans exemption equal to the amount of disability is available if the veteran is age 65 or older, who was a Florida resident at the time of entering military service, whose disability was combat-related, and who was honorably discharged.
  • $500 Blind Exemption.  Every Florida resident who is blind qualifies for this exemption.

Be aware that there could be significant changes in the property taxes on the home you are buying.
  • In Florida, state law limits the annual increase in the assessed value, not market value, of homesteaded property to 3% or the Consumer Price Index (CPI) whichever is less. This is also called Save Our Homes. When homesteaded property is sold, that limitation is removed and the property is reassessed. This results in a new assessed value.  If you purchase homesteaded property, the taxable value of the property can and probably will, increase the first year after sale, especially if it has been owned and homesteaded for several years by the same owner.
Assessed Value – Any Exemptions = Taxable Value

 This information is very important to understand because if your taxes are paid by your mortgage company, you may be surprised by the increase in your monthly payment, due to the increase in your assessed value, which means a higher taxable value.

When there is a change in ownership, the assessed value will be brought up to the market value. This may include a name change on your deed. According to Section 193.155(3)

Florida Statutes, except as provided therein, property shall be assessed at just value as of January 1 of the year following a change of ownership. Therefore, adding or removing the name of an individual as a joint owner of the property can require the property’s assessed value to be reassessed at market value as of January 1 following the change of ownership if the new owner files for Homestead Exemption.

I hope you find this information useful.  If you have any questions call me anytime.  I am here to help you!
Warmly,
Vlaja Telfer
Real Living Palm West Home Realty, Inc.  
386-986-9344  vlajatelfer@gmail.com 

Drawing A Floor Plan Made Very Easy



I just learned about a new Floor Plan App for the iPhone or iPad that will create a floor plan from photos taken of the rooms.  No measuring.  Nothing.  Just take the pictures.  I can’t wait to try it.  Here is some promo about it and the link to the site:


Description

MagicPlan MEASURES your rooms and DRAWS your floor plan just by taking pictures.
You can then get your floor plan in PDF, JPG and DXF format or publish an INTERACTIVE FLOOR PLAN on the web.
With MagicPlan, EVERYONE CAN CREATE A FLOOR PLAN IN FEW MINUTES ONLY.

• No need to measure; • No need to draw; • No need to move furniture; • No need for expertise.

The App is free, but you pay to draw a plan:

Plan (PDF, JPG, DXF, HTML)$2.99

10 Plans (PDF, JPG, DXF, HTML)$19.99

Unlimited (PDF, JPG, HTML, DXF)$19.99

40 Plan JPG/PDF/DXF/HTML $59.99
1 Plan JPG/PDF/DXF$2.99

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

There's Money For Rehabing...FHA203K

Reading my Florida Realtor News from Oct. 31 I found and interesting article about how older homes sell for less.  I have seen that difference here in Palm Coast.  However, I have not sold an older home to someone who used this federal program.  If you are interested in looking into purchasing an older home and rehabbing it for yourself or resale; or if you are just interested in finding out more about how you might refinance your home now that rates are still very low and include some rehab money in the loan, I would be glad to dig in and help you.   Talk To Ted!

 Excerpted From Florida Realtor News:

 "Homes built in 1990 or later sold at an average price of $256,292 year-to-date in 2013 while homes built before 1990 sold at an average price of $233,221, according to RealtyTrac.

“The lower price point on older homes is not surprising given many are in need of some rehab and are more likely to have maintenance issues,” Adger says. “But this also presents an opportunity for buyers willing to take on that older inventory. Those buyers can purchase at lower price points and face less competition from institutional investors.”

Government-backed rehab financing

Adger believes the Federal Housing Administration’s 203(k) program is the government’s answer to the problem of the aging housing supply. Owner-occupant buyers can take advantage of the 203(k) program to finance the purchase, rehab and upgrade of an older home, while homeowners can also take advantage of the program to roll rehab costs into a refinance.

“Many consumers may not realize the FHA 203(k) program allows them to roll in the cost of both minor and major rehab into the purchase financing or a refinancing,” says Dennis Walsh, CEO of REBuildUSA, which connects buyers and homeowners with lenders specializing in 203(k) loans. “This means the entire layout of these older homes can be changed to fit more with modern tastes and sensibilities.”

© 2013 Florida Realtors®

LINK TO MORE INFO:  http://www.realtor.com/home-finance/homebuyer-information/what-is-an-fha-203k-loan.aspx?source=web

Saturday, November 2, 2013

I Was Shocked

I was going through my email.  Deleting most of the political rants.  Reading some of them.  I chose to read this one and was shocked and surprised to think about how long ago it has been since I held my hand on my heart and repeated the Pledge of Allegiance.  I just finished watching the World Series and was moved to hear the wonderful renditions of our National Anthem and "O Beautiful for Spacious Skys" and refresh my memory of a couple of the lines where I had to think for a minute.

I read the current version of the Pledge in this email and could not believe I would have not gotten it right had I tried.  (I probably would have forgotten to say "of the United States of America").   The different versions are at the end of this post.

Yes. Of course keep God in it.  "Under God" was not introduced until I was already in high school and had recited it hundreds of time without "God".   I am not really sure what being a nation "under God" really means, since so many different authorities are proclaiming different ideas about what God wanted from me.   But, being raised and educated as a believing Christian, I went along with the change.  What the hell.

And now I still think the phrase is fine.  Almost everyone in the world believes someone created it and us; it did not just happen.  We argue about how it happened.  But most of us can't bring ourselves to really believe  there was not some creator.  Some first cause.  Someone did it.

I think you have to be seriously against authority of any kind to choose to believe there is no "God".  Moral authority is really what all this fuss is about.  Moral authority brings power and control.  And power and control brings money.  I don't like authority much myself.  But I have chosen one I like.  A Heavenly Father, forgiveness of my sins, life everlasting.  I like that.  And my decision to believe has  been confirmed by some experiences that passeth all understanding.

I choose to believe.  I am comforted by the concept of my "Heavenly Father".  I go to sleep in peace.  Awake I try to behave on advice from my "Higher Self".   What I think Jesus would do if he were in my place.  I may not do it.  But I do try to give his advice lots of consideration.  I feel good about making decisions that way.  I usually go to a church.  I have an ongoing dialog with my God.  I try to walk my talk.    It works for me.  Thank you, Jesus.  God is Good.
 (signed "Mr. Wonderful").

You?  Whether you believe in a Golden Calf or call your God Allah; I really do not care.  It's what you do or do not do that will have an effect on me.

So if you call yourself an atheist that's ok.   But you are making a choice.  And it is just that.  Your choice.   The existence of a creator cannot yet be proved or disproved.  (I may find out something important soon, I am 76 with a heart condition!)

I vote to keep God in the Pledge and let me and many others enjoy what some call our religious "fantasies".  If that makes atheists feel uncomfortable and left out; well that's their choice.  They could instead choose to feel superior.  To feel more intelligent.  More rational.  Then keeping God in the Pledge can allow them to feel they embrace a philosophy that makes them superior to lots of people.  Sort of a Moral Authority.

Here are the different versions of the Pledge:

 
Official versions 
(changes in bold italics) 
1892 
"I pledge allegiance to my flag and the republic for which it stands: one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all."
1892 to 1923 
"I pledge allegiance to my flag and to the republic for which it stands: one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all."
1923 to 1924 
"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States and to the republic for which it stands: one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all."
1924 to 1954 
"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands; one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all."
1954 to Present 
"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America , and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

Friday, October 18, 2013

A Life Lesson…You Are What You've Done, Not What You Own


I earn my keep selling people houses, but I am In the fourth quarter and need to keep thing in perspective.  Susan was one of my consultants when I owned Software Usability Specialists and we still keep in touch.  I sent this post to my four kids:

Experiences vs. Possessions: You Are What You've Done, Not What You Own
Click on   http://bit.ly/15UKNS6

I would love to help you buy a home in Florida that will bring positive, happy experiences into your life.  And the commission will bring some into mine!

Talk To Ted !

Friday, October 11, 2013

My Home Buyer is Pre-Qualified…So What!

Two big changes have happened since the real estate bust.  Three out of ten Americans don’t qualify for a mortgage.  And lenders are not giving out many Pre-Approval letters.

It has been traditional for buyers of homes to get themselves “Pre-Qualified” when they are putting an offer in to purchase a home and adding a mortgage contingency clause.  "Pre-Qualified" letters are relatively easy to get from mortgage lenders.  They don’t mean much; just that the lender has run the numbers the potential borrower has given to him and, without verifying the data, calculated how large a mortgage the borrower should be able to get. 

On the other hand, I ask for a potential buyer to present a “Pre-Approval" letter.   This indicates his lender has checked out all the  income, assets and other data the borrower has given to him and has pre-approved the loan.  It gives my seller  a comfortable feeling that, if he accepts an offer with a Mortgage Contingency Clause and the buyer  provides a Pre-Approval letter, then the buyer should be able to get a mortgage and buy the home.
Times have changed!  Here are two good articles from FloridaRealtors.org.  One is about credit scores and qualifying for a mortgage and the other about the slow death of Pre-Approval letters:

Getting a Mortgage 

  http://bit.ly/18Yajtj

Getting a Pre-Approval Letter 

http://bit.ly/1aiWa8v

 

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

BUY AT THE FORECLOSURE AUCTION


I am attending the foreclosure auction at the Courthouse this morning.  I want to reconfirm it is still a good way purchase property.  Purchasing a house at a foreclosure sale is tricky, however…“As Is” can involve a lot of risk.

On the other hand, my specialty, purchasing and selling residential lots, is much simpler:  Determine if it is in a great location.  Check out how expensive the site preparation is likely to be (Clearing, fill dirt, etc).  Examine the numbers.  And get a good attorney to work with you (I am meeting with one this evening).

There are four lots going at auction in May. Three decreased in value our property appraiser’s estimation.  One increased!

Here are some quotes from Wikipedia and RealtyTrac…who are getting smothered with bad reviews about their “Free 7 day Offer"!

Wikipedia:“In the case where the remaining mortgage balance is higher than the actual home value the foreclosing party is unlikely to attract auction bids at this price level. A house that has gone through a foreclosure auction and failed to attract any acceptable bids may remain the property of the owner of the mortgage. That inventory is called REO (real estate owned). In these situations the owner/servicer tries to sell it through standard real estate channels.”

RealtyTrac: “A reasonable purchase amount at auction is at least 20 percent below full market value, and much better deals are often possible. Other factors to consider are the rate of real estate appreciation in the area and the potential for increasing the property’s value by making repairs and improvements.”
If you would like me to help you find a good residential lot that fits your home site or investment needs, please leave a comment here and I will contact you.  Same goes if you would like more details about the four lots being auctioned in May or have some experience with purchasing lots at auction you would like to share.