Monthly Archives: January 2015
I remember a time in my life where I didn’t have big dreams..
I remember a time in my life where I didn’t have big dreams. In fact, I wasn’t really dreaming at all. I lived day-to-day, looking for ways to meet my own needs of significance or love.
I had no idea what I really wanted in my life, and if I did, I was afraid to chart my own course to make it happen. The first day I realized that I was following the aspirations of those around me, instead of my own, I was in shock. I drove around for several hours, up and down the coast looking to get lost somewhere fast, with no direction to go in at all.
The drive was a good metaphor for my life. talk a lot about “dreaming big” and making big goals, but few people talk about the other side of that equation.
Most of us, as children have big dreams, expansive imaginations, and energy and hope that could fuel a spaceship to Mars.
The problem wasn’t the inability to dream big – the problem was about the beliefs, fears, and negative voices that became so loud, that the mind could no longer dream, or take action.
Dreaming big is exciting. Dreaming big, and making massive goals and never achieving them is depressing.
So what changed?
I did. I began to put myself into environments and experiences which would force me to stand on my own two feet. Instead of living through the accomplishments or success of others, I committed to creating my own.
Owning who I truly wanted to be. Not what a degree on the wall said, not what people expected, not what was comfortable and easy, like a costume I could slip into.
I wanted to own my vision, and with the help of Allah, seeking His pleasure, I starting taking those baby steps towards change.
This is where my coaching career began.
(continued via sister, Megan Wyatt)
ISOC ARABIC LESSONS FOR BEGINNERS
Assalamu alaiykum!
Join us this semester for ISOC ARABIC LESSONS FOR BEGINNERS
a unique course taught by Br Luqmaan (a 4th year student of Arabic)
who will be teaching a combination of the “Arabic Between your Hands” course and the “Madinah University Arabic” course with some useful additions.
the course aims to:
1) cover different structures and grammar
2) cover “root words”
3) equip people with the knowledge of vocabulary and how to form sentences
4) enable students to study Arabic independently
this course is appropriate for those with no knowledge, or little knowledge of the Arabic language, so don’t be shy.
its also free smile emoticon
so join us for our first taster session:
DATE- 10th of February
LOCATION- University place 6.207
TIME- 5:45- 7:15
See you there insha’allah!!!
(continued via The University Of Manchester Islamic Society ISoc)
How I Consistently Wake Up (By Allah’s Permission) 45 Minutes Before Fajr Adhan
One of the challenges that a Muslim faces when trying to wake up for Fajr everyday is the constant shifting of the Fajr prayer. Depending on the season you’re in, it constantly shifts either few minutes forward each day or few minutes back each day. Thus, it can be difficult to keep up with a varied Fajr schedule throughout the year.
This varied schedule poses three challenges for a productive Muslim:
It’s difficult to “train” your brain to wake up at a certain time each day. When you read productivity books, their advice is to always wake up early around the same time each day, e.g. 5am. This helps train your brain to wake you up early regardless of how late you slept the night before. However, for a Muslim, this is not realistic, especially with the shifting time for Fajr prayer, which can start as early as 1am or 2am or as late as 7am, depending on the season and which part of the world you’re in.
ENJOY YOUR LIFE!
This book, available in hardcover, is a comprehensive guide towards improving interpersonal skills and hence, enjoying life. The author has cited multiple examples from the Prophet’s biography as well as his own experience to illustrate the use of specific skills and the impact they can have upon others.
Enjoy Your Life: The Art of Interpersonal Relations as Exemplified in The Prophet’s Biography is a comprehensive guide towards improving interpersonal skills and hence, enjoying life. The author, Dr. Muhammad ‘Abdur-Rahmân al-‘Areefy, writes:
An enjoyable life entails learning and practicing multiple skills; the few who truly apply them savour the success that comes with it. Of course, atop the list of the successful is the chief of humanity, Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him). His entire life was an ocean of pearls that I have scattered throughout the pages of this book.
Enjoy Your Life! is not the product of an effort of a month or a year. Rather, it has resulted from the research that I devoted myself to for twenty years. I inscribed it with my tears, pouring my soul and squeezing my memories into it. I penned down various incidents involving the joy of our eyes – our first teacher, Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him). I highlighted his exceptional talents; his skills in dealing with people and enjoying his life.
Enjoy Your Life! contains personal memories, real-life experiences, and incidents that I have publicised for the first time – praying that Allah, the Exalted, makes them a source of benefit for you.
Enjoy Your Life! contains words that are straight from my heart, hoping to find a place in yours. It is the dearest and most beloved of my books. I ask Allah, the Exalted, to benefit others with it, make this effort solely for His sake, and amply reward all those who have contributed to spread it.
This book was translated into English for our readers by Mohammad Elshinawy.
http://www.iiph.com/en/self-help-behaviour-and-psychology-in-islam/83-enjoy-your-life.html
Spirituality can actually grow, rather than be suppressed, during times of great change and struggle
Spirituality can actually grow, rather than be suppressed, during times of great change and struggle. What can we learn from the legacy of our great grandfathers and great grandmothers
as they sustained and carried on their spiritual traditions from one continent to the next?
Join us on February 7th as we dive into this vast ocean of beautiful knowledge with our teachers Shaykh Mendes and Shaykh Rhodus.
Register Here: http://www.lamppostproductions.com/?p=8731
(continued via Students of Imam Amin)
❝I worshiped Allah for 50 years and did not find the sweetness of worship until I left off three things:
❝I worshiped Allah for 50 years and did not find the sweetness of worship until I left off three things:
1 – seeking the pleasure of people so I was able to speak the truth.
2 – befriending immoral people so I was able to befriend the righteous.
3 – delights of this worldly life so I was able to find the delights of the next life.❞
— Ahmad b. Harb (d. 234h) Siyar ‘Alam an-Nubala
JIZYA VS. ZAKAT (UPDATED)
JIZYA VS. ZAKAT (UPDATED): Bismillah ar-Rahman ir-Raheem. I’ve been researching the jizya, or the non-Muslim tax, that was used during the time of the Caliphate. And from what I’ve found, certain people are exempt from the jizya. Only adult males from People of the Book (including Jews, Christians, Sabians, and Magians) who are not disabled, who do not perform military service, and who have not contributed something great to the Caliphate (like cleaning an entire canal used regularly by the Caliphate) are the ones who have to pay jizya. And, despite what I originally thought, it’s not a fixed amount. It is decided at the discretion of the Caliph.
During the time of the Prophet, the jizya he collected was about 1 gold dinar (for every person who paid the jizya) once a year according to the Islamic lunar calendar. That’s 4.25 grams of gold which today would be the equivalent of between $150 and $200. And during the time of Caliph Umar, it was measured in silver dirhams, which was 3.2 or so grams of pure silver. One dirham would be the equivalent today of about $1.75 if I’m not mistaken. And in Umar’s time, the jizya was about 12 silver dirhams for craftsman, manual labors, and others who made less than the middle class and wealthy people (approximately $21 in U.S. currency), 24 dirhams for middle class people (approximately $42 in U.S. currency), and 48 dirhams for the wealthy people (approximately $84 in U.S. currency).
If a middle class man today making probably $60,000 a year paid the jizya at the rate of the middle class in the Caliphate under Umar, he’d pay less than $50 a year. And if a poor man making only like $15,000 a year paid jizya at the rate Umar charged for poor non-Muslims, he’d only pay less than $25 a year. $25 paid to the state out of $15,000 total and the rest is yours to keep for other expenses. That’s a very good deal especially when it’s only charged annually. Compare that to the 2.5% that Muslims had to pay in zakat from whatever they owned. If a Muslim man was living on minimum wage and made only like $20,000 a year, which is not easy at all these days to live on, then he would have to pay $500 in mandatory charitable giving. So People of the Book paid a lot less in their mandatory tax than Muslims paid in zakat. While poor Muslims paid the equivalent of probably hundreds of dollars annually, poor non-Muslims usually paid less than 5% of what Muslims paid.
And yet, despite the much lower payments, countless numbers of non-Muslims adopted the deen of Islam in mass numbers. They chose the faith that would have required them to pay way more to the state than they would have had they stayed non-Muslims. And you know why? It’s because, as the Qur’an says, “Let there be no compulsion in religion. Truth stands out clear from falsehood.” -Surah al-Baqarah 2:256. For anything I’ve said correctly, all credit is due to Allah, subhana wa ta’ala, and any mistakes are from me and the Shaitan.
Awesome advice!!
He had never prayed two rak`ah in his adult life. Born and raised in Egypt, he had heard the athan rolling through the streets, calling the believers to prayer,but he had never voluntarily accepted the call. He spent little time with his family; his routine usually consisted of work, chillin at the hookah cafe with his friends, and then eventually going home.
On one Friday, he was suddenly hit by a novel idea. “Why don’t I just try Friday prayer today, just to see what it’s like?” He came in late to the masjid and the Khatib was already speaking. As the man was looking for a place to sit, he heard the words of the Khatib in fragments, “Two words…beloved… to God.”
The man lost complete focus on the rest of the khutbah, working hard to make sense of what the words could possibly mean.
After the prayer, he approached the Khatib directly and asked for him to tell him what the words signified. The Khatib smiled in recognition. “Yes, those are in fact from a blessed hadith (narration) from The Prophet himself ﷺ. He told us:
كلمتان خفيفتان على اللسان ، ثقيلتان في الميزان، حبيبتان إلى الرحمن: سبحان الله وبحمده، سبحان الله العظيم
“Two words are light on the tongue, heavy in the balance, beloved to the Merciful: ‘Glory be to God and by His praise. Glory be to God, the Immense.’” (Bukhari)
The man stood, overwhelmed, awestruck, in a daze. He walked out of the masjid in a trance and left for his home. Upon entering, he gathered his wife and children. “Have you heard,” he began to tell them, “the words of the Prophet ﷺ? He has told us:
كلمتان خفيفتان على اللسان ، ثقيلتان في الميزان، حبيبتان إلى الرحمن: سبحان الله وبحمده، سبحان الله العظيم
“Two words are light on the tongue, heavy in the balance, beloved to the Merciful: ‘Glory be to Allah and by His praise. Glory be to Allah, the Immense.’”
From that moment, the man transformed. From his home, he would leave to work, from his work, he would go straight to the Masjid, and from the Masjid, he would immediately go back home to spend time with his wife and kids. All the while, two words kept his lips moving and his tongue wet with remembrance, “Subhan Allahi wa bihamdi, Subhan Allah il-`atheem.”
His friends noticed his absence. They came to his apartment one day to figure out where he’d been. A wistful look came over the man’s face. “Haven’t you heard?” He replied to his old crew. “The Prophet ﷺ has told us:
كلمتان خفيفتان على اللسان ، ثقيلتان في الميزان، حبيبتان إلى الرحمن: سبحان الله وبحمده، سبحان الله العظيم
“Two words are light on the tongue, heavy in the balance, beloved to the Merciful: ‘Glory be to Allah and by His praise. Glory be to Allah, the Immense.’”
Soon, he fell ill. It had only been a few months since he had gone to the masjid, since he had first heard the beloved words of the Prophet ﷺ by the Khatib in a Jumu`ah (Friday) khutbah. He told his son to go and to ask the Masjid administration to call upon that very Khatib to come visit him in his illness.
When he was informed, the Khatib remembered the man immediately and rushed to his apartment. Upon being let in, he saw the man was sleeping so he sat at the foot of the bed and waited for the man to awaken. Finally, the man stirred.
The man looked at the Khatib and asked him, “Have you heard? The Prophet ﷺ has told us:
كلمتان خفيفتان على اللسان ، ثقيلتان في الميزان، حبيبتان إلى الرحمن: سبحان الله وبحمده، سبحان الله العظيم
“Two words are light on the tongue, heavy in the balance, beloved to the Merciful: ‘Glory be to Allah and by His praise. Glory be to Allah, the Immense.’”
With that, the man passed away.
The Khatib in this story is the teacher of my teacher. My teacher related this incident to me and continued to stress that it wasn’t a story from books of the past, it wasn’t a story coined to tug hearts, it was the true story of a man who was disconnected from God, but who God blessed with finding Him through the blessed words of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
Find one thing that helps you connect to God. Cling onto it. Others may make you feel insecure in your relationship with Him. You may feel judged and isolated from the community sometimes. He will never isolate you from Him when He knows you seek Him. Find His beauty in something that will connect you to Him, cling onto it, and slowly, like this man, grow closer to Him through that process.
(continued via sis, Maryam Amirebrahimi)
why i wear hijjab? II sister Jennifer
Assalaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakaathuhu
“I’m from the United States. I wear hijab because I love my religion of Islam and wearing hijab because I respect the words of Allah and hit quran and I know this is the best for me because Allah only wants for me the best. in both this world and Akhira -Jennifer (USA)
French Director Finds Islam After Charlie Attacks
CAIRO – French director Isabelle Matic has announced her decision to revert to Islam on her FaceBook account, making the unexpected announcement only a few days after Charlie Hebdo Paris attacks.
“Today, I passed through the first pillar of Islam. There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His Prophet,” Matic said in a message posted on her Facebook page on January 11.
She followed her announcement with a series of posts in which she thanked Moroccan actor Hicham Bahloul for announcing her decision on Moroccan papers.
“Between the massacre at the premises of Charlie Hebdo and other event that have followed: I became a Muslim,” Matic wrote.In another message, she described how she took the decision and its effect on her beliefs in freedom of expression.
“Am I still for freedom of expression for all and Charlie Hebdo in particular?! Yes,” Matic wrote yesterday.
“With regard to my position towards the caricatures of the Prophet, I will write you the text of the SMS that I received this morning from a mosque which agreed quite well with my thoughts since the beginning of the cartoons, well before I became a Muslim,” she added Read the rest of this entry
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Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh
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5- Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
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9- The Five Pillars of Islam
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10- The Hijab
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11- Misconceptions About Islam
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12- Women’s Rights in Islam
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13- Science in Islam
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14- Islam is not a Religion of Extremism
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15- The Burqa & Niqab
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16- Death & the Hereafter in Islam
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17- The Mercy of Allah (God)
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18- The Importance of Prayer
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19- The Dangers of Riba (Interest)
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20- Islam for Kids
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21- Traps of Satan
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Islam; The Religion of Peace 