'No such boats'

Bangladesh's coastal authorities meanwhile, denied the presence of any trawlers carrying Rohingya refugees in its territorial waters.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Lieutenant Commander Sohail Rana, Teknaf station head of Bangladesh coastguard said they had not seen any "boats carrying Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh's territorial water in the past few days".

"The areas that we patrol have no such boats," Rana said.

A Bangladeshi fisherman, however, told HRW that on April 20 he saw "two trawlers full of Rohingya coming toward the shore while I was at sea in my fishing trawler with others".

The same day, a local resident posted on Facebook: "Again, trawlers full of Rohingya are heading to Baharchara Union [in Cox's Bazar]. They are waiting at sea to enter into Bangladesh."

It is believed that most of the Rohingya refugees on board the trawlers had left refugee camps in Bangladesh in an attempt to reach Malaysia, according to HRW.

The organisation reported that it had spoken to 10 families who said their family members had left the camps and they had not heard from them since.

A mother from Kutupalong extension camp told HRW: "One of my sons left the camp some two months ago. Around 20 days back, I got a phone call from my son to pay money to smugglers. We paid. But we have not heard anything since."

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 According to the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, the stranded Rohingya might "have been at sea for weeks without adequate food and water."

Momen said that just weeks ago, Bangladesh rescued a total of 396 Rohingya people from a vessel that had been adrift for about two months after also failing to reach Malaysia.

"Why should Bangladesh take the responsibility every time? Momen asked. "Bangladesh has already taken more than a million of Rohingya. We are running out of our generosity now."

On Saturday, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said the government of Bangladesh should immediately allow stranded refugees ashore and provide them with the necessary food, water, and healthcare.

"Bangladesh has shouldered a heavy burden as the result of the Myanmar military's atrocity crimes, but this is no excuse to push boatloads of refugees out to sea to die," said Brad Adams, Asia director at HRW.

"Bangladesh should continue to help those at grave risk and preserve the international goodwill it has gained in recent years for helping the Rohingya."

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Rights groups urge Dhaka to allow some 500 Rohingya stuck in the Bay of Bengal to come ashore.

The Bangladesh government has refused to allow some 500 Rohingya refugees stranded on board two fishing trawlers in the Bay of Bengal to come ashore, drawing criticism from rights groups.

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen told Al Jazeera on Saturday that the Rohingya refugees, who are believed to have been at sea for weeks, are "not Bangladesh's responsibility."

"Why you are asking Bangladesh to take those Rohingyas? They are in the deep sea, not even in Bangladesh's territorial water," Momen said, adding that there are at least eight coastal countries surrounding the Bay of Bengal.

"It's your duty to ask Myanmar government first because those are their citizens," Momen told Al Jazeera.

The two trawlers - carrying an estimated 500 Rohingya women, men and children - are in the Bay of Bengal after being rejected by Malaysia, which has imposed restrictions on all boats in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

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 US State Secretary Mike Pompeo denounced China Monday following the reports that Beijing forces birth control on Uighurs to suppress their population.

"The world received disturbing reports today that the Chinese Communist Party [CCP] is using forced sterilization, forced abortion, and coercive family planning against Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang, as part of a continuing campaign of repression," Pompeo denounced in a statement.

He said German researcher Adrian Zenz's "shocking revelations are sadly consistent with decades of CCP practices that demonstrate an utter disregard for the sanctity of human life and basic human dignity."

Pompeo urged Beijing to immediately end "these horrific practices" and asked all nations to join the US in demanding an end to "these dehumanizing abuses."

The 32-page report penned by Zenz and revealed Saturday is based on a research carried out in 2017-2018 which brought to light the Chinese government's campaign of repression and mass internment directed against ethnic Uighur people in Xinjiang.

China's Foreign Ministry rejected the claims by saying the government treats all ethnicities equally and called the report "fabricated".

Xinjiang region is home to around 10 million Uighurs. The Turkic Muslim group, which makes up around 45% of Xinjiang’s population, has long accused China's authorities of cultural, religious and economic discrimination.

Up to 1 million people, or about 7% of the Muslim population in Xinjiang, have been incarcerated in an expanding network of "political re-education" camps, according to US officials and UN experts.

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 Daawood (David), may Allah exalt his mention:

Daawood, may Allah exalt his mention, supplicated Allah The Exalted as Allah The Exalted Says (what means): {And Daawood became certain that We had tried him, and he asked forgiveness of his Lord and fell down bowing [in prostration] and turned in repentance [to Allah].} [Quran 38: 24]

Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him:

Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, the best of this nation after the Prophet, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, asked the Prophet, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, "O Messenger of Allah, teach me an invocation with which I may invoke Allah in my prayers.” The Prophet, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Say, ‘Allahumma inni thalamtu nafsi thulman katheeran wa la yaghfir ath-thunoob illa ant; ighfir li maghfiratan min ‘indik wa irhamni, innaka anta Al-Ghafoor Ar-Raheem (O Allah, I have wronged my soul very much and none forgives the sins but You; so please bestow Your forgiveness and mercy upon me. No doubt, You are the Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful).’” [Al-Bukhari]

‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him:

‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said to the Prophet, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, "O Messenger of Allah, ask forgiveness for me."

There are numerous righteous and devout people other than these, who used to seek the forgiveness of Allah The Almighty frequently; repentance was their banner, their request for forgiveness was their slogan, and they repeatedly turned to Allah The Almighty.

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In brief, we can say that there are five different categories of companions: 1) a companion who is like the air; you cannot dispense with him, 2) a companion who is like food; you cannot live without him, but it may taste bad or be difficult to digest, 3) a companion who is like a medicine that tastes bitter but sometimes is necessary, 4) a  companion who is like wine; it delights the one who drinks it but ruins his health and honor, and 5) a companion who is like a calamity that befalls you.

As for the companion who is like air, it is he who benefits you with regard to your religion and worldly life. You enjoy his friendship, and you find delight in his company.

The companion who is like food is he who benefits you with regard to your worldly life and religion but sometimes annoys you due to his roughness, lack of a sense of humor, and harsh nature.

As for the companion who is like medicine that tastes bitter, he is the one whom you may need and benefit of, but you do not approve of his religiosity nor enjoy his company.

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 The one who is like wine is he who helps you satisfy your pleasures and gratify your desires, but he corrupts your moral character and incurs loss on you in the Hereafter.

Finally, the companion who is like a calamity is he who does not benefit you with regard to your worldly life or religion, nor do you enjoy his companionship or conversation, but you inevitably have to keep his company.

You should take religion as a standard, and the pleasure of Allah as a scale. The one who benefits you with regard to your religion, hold on to him, unless you cannot endure his companionship. The one who harms you in this regard, cut him off and forsake him, unless you are compelled to keep his company. In this case, such companionship is considered a necessity, and necessities overrule prohibitions (i.e. permit what is normally forbidden), provided that such company does not exceed the scope of necessity.

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