Perks of Being a Muslim

Salam :)

Recently, there has been a trend online amongst Muslims on Twitter and Facebook about the Perks of Being a Muslim. We found this to be quite brilliant because it reminds us and makes us proud of many different reasons why it is better to be a Muslim. Sometimes living in the west can be hard, especially when the media portrays the Muslim lifestyle and religion as being undesirable. Although we know it's not true, the comments can still hurt sometimes.

 The Perks of Being a Muslim not only reminds us why Islam is the best religion in the world, but some comments even tell us why being a Muslim has its perks in the Western world. Comments from Muslims range from being funny, for example a Hijabi sister wrote, "Perks of Being a Muslim: I never have to worry about a bad hair day" and "Always being warm in the winter" to more thoughtful ones like "Knowing there is more to life than the Duniya" and "Knowing Someone is always there when no one else is".

We found a cute story online about a Perk of Being a Muslim from the FUNdamentalist Muslim Blog and thought we would share it with you guys http://bonsaisky.wordpress.com/2012/01/06/perks-of-being-a-muslim/

We hope you enjoy it and feel free to tell us what is your  idea of a "Perk of Being a Muslim"in the comments section below :)

Finals!

Finals? Stressed? Ask Allah for help! 

After your prayers recite "Rabbi Zidni Ilman" 7 times to ask Allah to give you wisdom.

Recite "Rabi shrahli sadri wa ya sirli amri wah'lul ukdatan-minli sani, yafkahu qouli." to make your work easy 

for you and to remove impediments from your speech so others may understand you.

And Recite "Allah-huma ini as-aluka ailman nafi-a wa-aamalan mutaqabala wa rizqan tayaba" to ask Allah for knowledge and provisions which are pure and beneficial 

Below is a link with the Arabic verses so you can recite it more clearly :) May Allah (swt) grant us all knowledge and iman and make us all successful in our exams and tests! Ameen ♥

http://members.multimania.co.uk/AshrafS/Knowledgeduas.sana.htm

The great virtue of lowering the gaze

Allah, the Exalted said, "Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their private parts; that will make for greater purity for them. Indeed Allah is well acquainted with all that they do." [an-Nur (24):30]

So Allah made purification and spiritual growth to be the outcome of lowering the gaze and guarding the private parts. It is for this reason that lowering ones gaze from (seeing) the prohibited things necessarily leads to three benefits that carry tremendous value and are of great significance.

The First: Experiencing the Delight and Sweetness of Faith

This delight and sweetness is far greater and more desirable that which might have been attained from the object that one lowered his gaze from for the sake of Allah. Indeed, "whosoever leaves something for the sake of Allah then Allah, the Mighty and Magnificent, will replace it with something better than it."[1]

The soul is a temptress and loves to look at beautiful forms and the eye is the guide of the heart. The heart commissions its guide to go and look to see what is there and when the eye informs it of a beautiful image it shudders out of love and desire for it. Frequently such inter-relations tire and wear down both the heart and the eye as is said:

When you sent your eye as a guide
For your heart one day, the object of sight fatigued you
For you saw one over whom you had no power
Neither a portion or in totality, instead you had to be patient.

Therefore when the sight is prevented from looking and investigating the heart finds relief from having to go through the arduous task of (vainly) seeking and desiring.

Whosoever lets his sight roam free will find that he is in a perpetual state of loss and anguish for sight gives birth to love (mahabbah) the starting point of which is the heart being devoted and dependant upon that which it beholds. This then intensifies to become fervent longing (sabubah) whereby the heart becomes totally dependant and devoted to the (object of its desire). Then this further intensifies and becomes infatuation (gharamah) which clings to the heart like the one seeking repayment of a debt clings firmly to the one who has to pay the debt. Then this intensifies and becomes passionate love (ishk) and this is a love that transgresses all bounds. Then this further intensifies and becomes crazed passion (shaghafa) and this is a love that encompasses every tiny part of the heart. Then this intensifies and becomes worshipful love (tatayyuma). Tatayyum means worship and it is said: tayyama Allah i.e. he worshipped Allah.

Hence the heart begins to worship that which is not correct for it to worship and the reason behind all of this was an illegal glance. The heart is now bound in chains whereas before it used to be the master, it is now imprisoned whereas before it was free. It has been oppressed by the eye and it complains to it upon which the eye replies: I am your guide and messenger and it was you who sent me in the first place!

All that has been mentioned applies to the heart that has relinquished the love of Allah and being sincere to Him for indeed the heart must have an object of love that it devotes itself to. Therefore when the heart does not love Allah Alone and does not take Him as its God then it must worship something else.

Allah said concerning Yusuf as-Siddiq (AS), "Thus (did We order) so that We might turn away from him all evil and indecent actions for he was one of Our sincere servants." [Yusuf (12): 24]

It was because the wife of al-Aziz was a polytheist that (the passionate love) entered her heart despite her being married. It was because Yusuf (AS) was sincere to Allah that he was saved from it despite his being a young man, unmarried and a servant.

The Second: The Illumination of the Heart, Clear Perception and Penetrating Insight

Ibn Shuja al-Kirmani said, "whosoever builds his outward form upon following the Sunnah, his internal form upon perpetual contemplation and awareness of Allah, he restrains his soul from following desires, he lowers his gaze from the forbidden things and he always eats the lawful things then his perception and insight shall never be wrong."

Allah mentioned the people of Lut and what they were afflicted with and then He went on to say,

"Indeed in this are signs for the Mutawassimin." [al-Hijr (15): 75]

The Mutwassimin are those who have clear perception and penetrating insight, those who are secure from looking at the unlawful and performing indecent acts.

Allah said after mentioning the verse concerning lowering the gaze,

"Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth." [an-Nur (24): 35]

The reason behind this is that the reward is of the same type as the action. So whosoever lowers his gaze from the unlawful for the sake of Allah, the Mighty and Magnificent, He will replace it with something better than it of the same type. So just as the servant restrained the light of his eye from falling upon the unlawful, Allah blesses the light of his sight and heart thereby making him perceive what he would not have seen and understood had he not lowered his gaze.

This is a matter that the person can physically sense in himself for the heart is like a mirror and the base desires are like rust upon it. When the mirror is polished and cleaned of the rust then it will reflect the realities (haqaaiq) as they actually are. However if it remains rusty then it will not reflect properly and therefore its knowledge and speech will arise from conjecture and doubt.

The Third: The Heart Becoming Strong, Firm and Courageous

Allah will give it the might of aid for its strength just as He gave it the might of clear proofs for its light. Hence the heart shall combine both of these factors and as a result, Shaytan shall flee from it. It is mentioned in the narration, "whosoever opposes his base desires, the Shaytan shall flee in terror from his shade."[2]

This is why the one who follows his base desires shall find in himself the ignominy of the soul, its being weak, feeble and contemptible. Indeed Allah places nobility for the one who obeys Him and disgrace for the one who disobeys Him,

"So do not lose heart nor fall into despair; for you must gain mastery if you are true in faith." [Ali Imran (3): 139]

"If any do seek for nobility and power then to Allah belongs all nobility and power." [Faatir (35): 10]

Meaning that whosoever seeks after disobedience and sin then Allah, the Might and Magnificent, will humiliate the one who disobeys Him.

Some of the salaf said, "the people seek nobility and power at the door of the Kings and they will not find it except through the obedience of Allah."

This is because the one who obeys Allah has taken Allah as his friend and protector and Allah will never humiliate the one who takes his Lord as friend and patron. In the Du`a Qunoot their occurs, "the one who You take as a friend is not humiliated and the one who You take as an enemy is not ennobled."[3]

Notes:
[1] Reported by Ahmad [5/363], al-Marwazi in "Zawaid az-Zuhd" [no. 412], an-Nasa'i in "al-Kubra" as mentioned in "Tuhfah al-Ashra" [11/199] from one of the Companions that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, "indeed you will not leave anything for the sake of Allah except that Allah will replace it with something better than it." The isnad is saheeh.
[2] This is not established as a hadeeth of the Prophet .
[3] Reported by Abu Dawood [Eng. Trans. 1/374 no. 1420], an-Nasa'i [3/248], at-Tirmidhi[no. 464], ibn Majah [no. 1178], ad-Darimi [1/311], Ahmad [1/199], ibn Khuzaymah [2/151] from al Hasan from Ali (RA).
The hadith is sahih. The isnad has been criticised by many, however none of the criticisms hold. Refer to: "Nasb ar-Rayah"[2/125] and "Talkhis al-Habi" [1/247]

Ibn Qayyim al Jawziyyah

Moderation in Islam

MODERATION IN ALL THINGS
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) once asked a companion: "(Is it true) that you fast all day and stand in prayer all night?" The companion replied that the report was indeed true. The Prophet then said: "Do not do that! Observe the fast sometimes and also leave (it) at other times. Stand up for prayer at night and also sleep at night. Your body has a right over you, your eyes have a right over you and your wife has a right over you." - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 7, Hadith 127

ADOPT A MODERATE COURSE
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately. . .Always adopt a middle, moderate, regular course, whereby you will reach your target (of paradise)." - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Hadith 470

BE MODERATE IN YOUR RELIGIOUS DEEDS
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "The good deeds of any person will not make him enter Paradise (i.e., no one enters paradise only through his good deeds)." The Prophet's companions asked: "Not even you?" The Prophet replied: "Not even myself, unless God bestows His favor and mercy on me. So be moderate in your religious deeds and do what is within your ability. None of you should wish for death, for if he is a doer of good, he may increase his good deeds, and if he is an evil doer, he may repent to God." - Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 7, Hadith 577

I am a fundamentalist

‎‎"And while it’s nice of you to want to call us ‘modern’ or ‘moderate,’ we’ll do without the redundancy. Islam is by definition moderate, so the more strictly we adhere to its fundamentals—the more moderate we’ll be. And Islam is by nature timeless and universal, so if we’re truly Islamic—we’ll always be modern.

We’re not ‘Progressives’; we’re not ‘Conservatives.’ We’re not ‘neo-Salafi’; we’re not ‘Sufi’; We’re not ‘Islamists’; we’re not ‘Modernists’. We’re not ‘Traditionalists’; we’re not ‘Wahabis.’ We’re not ‘Immigrants’ and we’re not ‘Indigenous.’ Thanks, but we’ll do without your prefix.
We’re just Muslim."

Yasmin Mogahed <3 

Middle Eastern Dolma Recipe

Salam!

So it has been a while since we've last put up a post... but to make up for it, we've cooked Dolma for ourselves and put the recipe, along with photos, up for you! Dolma is a popular dish in many Muslim/Middle Eastern countries such as Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Egypt and Turkey. Basically, it consists of a stuffed vegetable (Cabbage, Grape Vine Leaves, Bell Peppers, or Zucchini) with ground beef/lamb and small grain rice. There are many different ways to cook this dish, and this way is a little bit of a mix of most of the ways *tongue twister* - since it was our first time :)

P.S - go ahead and try it, it tasted good lol. The ratings we received were 9/10 (from 6 people)
* Ingredients at the end of the post
* Sorry for bad picture quality (phone camera)

In a food processor, mix 1 medium red onion, 5 cloves of garlic and 1 green chili. 

Wash and soak your Egyptian/small grain rice in a bowl (warm water - 30/45 min) 

In a separate bowl, mix your drained rice, meat, and chopped onion mix. Also, add your spices. Sumac, Dill, 7 spice, ground cumin, ground coriander, and table spoon of salt. Mix everything well, then add your table spoon of tomato paste, and squeeze half a lemon into the mix. Mix thoroughly. 

Have your (stuff-able) vegetables cleaned and soaked in cold water. Take off the tops of your dell pepper, clean the insides and keep both pieces together. Open up your large white onion layer by layer with only a cut on one side.  

To clean out your Zucchini's - cut it in 3 sections, slightly insert a knife around the inside (but a cm away from wall). Then, use a spoon to scoop out the insides - be careful not to scoop out all the way to the bottom, and not to scoop so much that the walls rip. 

Stuff your Vegetable so they have 2-3 cm of space left over. This way when the rice and meat expand, your Dolma's wont over flow. 

Lay out your grape vine leave so that the smooth side is on the plate, and the vein side faces you. Cut off the stem part on the bottom of the leaf. 

Place a small amount of Dolma mix in the lower-center part of the leaf. If your leaf is bigger, use more mix, if it is smaller, use less. 

First, put the bottom flap on the meat. Then fold in both side. The gently roll it up while slightly tucking in the meat. 

Roll away from yourself! 

Place Vegetables into pot. First the zucchinis, then the bell peppers, then the onions, then the grape leaves. 

Feel free to add lemons and onion slices to top and bottom of pot. 

Cover food with a heat safe plate. 

Pour three cups of liquid over top of plate. I am adding 2 cups of chicken stock  and 1 cup of boiling water. 

If you use plain water, put some salt in the water (1tsp)

Cook for 20 min on high. Then 50 min on medium. Then 25 min on low. Until all the water evaporates. 

Make sure grape leaves are soft, rice is soft, meat will be cooked. 

Take out of pot carefully so they don't break. (mines are broken)

You can serve it with yogurt. (red pepper, salt, pepper, lemon juice, dill, mint, cucumber mix, 1 clove garlic)

Ta da! you are done :) 

Enjoy <3 

Ingredients

• 3 cups of Egyptian Rice 
• 2 Pounds of ground beef/lamb 
• 1 large white onion 
• 1 medium red onion 
• 5 Bell Peppers (different colors) 
• 2 large Zucchinis 
• 1 can/jar of Grape Vine Leaves 
• 5 cloves of Garlic 
• 3 Large Lemons 
• 1 cup of Yogurt 
• 2 mini cucumbers 
• Salt 
• pepper 
• Dried Dill 
• Dried Mint 
• red pepper 
• Semagh (or Sumac) 
• Middle Eastern Spice Mix (or 7 spice) 
• Ground Cumin 
• Ground Coriander 
• 1 Table Spoon of Tomato Paste 
• Olive Oil or Grape Seed oil (1 table spoon) 

Gain Confidence

Salam :)

We found a great article on gaining confidence from a blog by the name of Muslimah. It's really important as Muslims for us to have confidence, and we will only attain it when we are proud of who we are - and you can only be proud of who you are when you learn about yourself and your deen. So hopefully with that in mind and the following tips, we can become stronger and more confident Muslim women <3

•KNOWLEDGE IS POWER: Those who know are ultimately much more confident in any arena than those shrouded in ignorance. Use your spare time to read up on the things that interest you, on the things that you are curious about, and build up a solid base of knowledge and critical thinking. The more you know, the surer of yourself you will be in any situation.


•EXPERIENCE: Uncertainty is the biggest drain on your self-confidence. Succumbing to doubt ensures you will never believe in yourself. The more often you do something, the more certain you become. With certainty comes confidence.

•CARE-FREE ATTITUDE: Try to walk through your day with as easy and care-free of an attitude as you can muster, because someone who is it ease with him or herself is someone who is confident. Build unstoppable confidence by not getting hung up on the petty issues and minor irritations that help wear you down.

•HONEST SELF-ASSESSMENT: Take stock of yourself. Brainstorm for a bit and compose a list of your good qualities and bad, the things you excel at and the things you need to improve upon, and once you have a clear picture of yourself much of the uncertainty that breeds doubt will wash away.

•ANALYZE: Take the time to properly think through every problem, and the confidence in your skills will grow.

•BE THOROUGH: Try to be as complete and thorough at every task you attempt. Completing tasks builds confidence in your ability to always see projects through to their proper conclusion.

•IDENTIFY YOUR LIMITS, AND EXCEED THEM: Once you have assessed yourself, make a list of goals you wish to accomplish, and get to work. You now know your true limits, so the only thing left to do is push beyond them and set your sights on new frontiers.

•BE OPEN TO HELPING OTHERS: Don’t close yourself off to friends, acquaintances and co-workers. The more you put yourself out there in business and social situations, the more quickly you will build confidence in your ability to navigate these sometimes tricky waters.

•COMPOSE YOURSELF: Dress well, groom yourself, compose your identity as a person who is well put together, and you will feel confident when meeting new people and doing new things.

•BE DECISIVE: While it is okay to take time to analyze and think situations through, the time comes when you must be decisive and act. Decisive people are confident; not confident people are decisive.

•BE COMPLETE: Know yourself fully, wash away your own doubts about yourself, your identity and your capabilities, and present every aspect of yourself in every situation and you will have no reason to doubt your confidence. Become your full, real self.

http://amuslimsistermaria200327.wordpress.com/2012/01/24/gain-confidence/

Sabr

SABR... An essential element in fulfilling our ubudiyyah (Tawhid) to Allah (swt)

 Rasulullah (saws) said: Sabr is a source of light

 In the Quran it says: [And practice sabr, for you are under Our gaze] One of the early ulamah used to carry a parchment with this ayah on it in his pocket, and he looked at it constantly.

Sabr is human; animals know nothing more than their basic needs and instincts, all they can do is react; humans have been endowed with reason which balances instinct. We go from wanting food as baby, play as a child, zinnah in adolescence, until we reach puberty and are endowed with some reason.. but reason is not enough, it is not alone sufficient as guidance, the 'aql (intellect) needs 'naql (revelation) "Descartes said I think therefore I am, Ghazali before him said I will therefore I am, I say: I perform sabr, therefore I am human" This deen is the completeness of our maturity and our humanity.

So what is sabr?

The steadfastness of the religious call over the call to passion- if the deen overcomes the nafs, this is sabr

Sabr is an UPHILL BATTLE- when we're going downhill we're losing energy, when we're going uphill we're gaining potential energy. In sabr, we are gaining "spiritual potential energy".

There are 2 kinds of sabr (or two ways we can perform sabr):

1) when something we desire happens to us, something we like, we exhibit sabr in controlling our selves, not going into excess, not transgressing the bounds set down for us by Allah(swt)

Abdur Rahmad ibn Auf said: We were tried by hard times and we showed sabr, but when we were tried in ease and excess, we failed.

Hadeeth: I do not fear for you poverty; I fear for you plentifulness of dunyaa, and it will destroy you as it had destroyed nations before you.

Quran: O you who believe, do not let your families and your wealth draw you away from the dhikr of Allah; and whosoever does that is indeed the loser.

2) Sabr in what we dislike. In 3 areas of life:

a.) sabru ala ta'aat: in obeying Allah (swt). sabr against our nafs who dislikes it, whether in spirituality or mundane, sabr before, during and after the act of obedience.

b.) sabru anil ma'asee: to show sabr against disobedience to Allah (swt). We are attracted to do injustice to others thinking we are doing justice to ourselves. We live in an environment that is dangerously attractive, we need to have patience, constancy, steadfastness = sabr.

c.) sabr andil ma'asid: to show sabr in times of calamity, adveristy, pain, whether physical or emotional. Everything that is in the capacity of an individual to change, he should- but have sabr in what you cannot. Not reciprocating harm is sabr.

Hadeeth: whenever a museebah (hardship) befalls you (and you show sabr) Allah (swt) atones for you some of your sins

Hadeeth: Allah (swt) atones some of our sins not only by physical endurance but by emotional ones as well

Sa'ad ibn Abi Waqqas (ra) asked the Prophet (saws) "Ya Rasulullah, who amongst people are the most tried (subject to hardships)?" Rasulullah (saws) said: The Anbiyyah (messengers of Allah) and after them the Salihoon (righteous) and then in accordance to your eman, taqwaah etc, there will be more hardships, not less. Every mu'min will be tried by difficulties in accordance (proportion) to their deen. If in this person's deen is solidity (their deen is deeply rooted) the balaa' will increase, to purify, cleanse, strenghten, elevate the person. And if in the deen in this person there is riqaa (weakness, thinness), then that persons balaa will be weakened, until the person walks on the earth cleansed of sins until they meet Allah.

What are the adaab of sabr?

1- Once the calamity befalls us, we must show sabr immediately without delay.

A woman was in the cemetary, crying, mourning her love, when Rasulullah (saws) said to her "show sabr". She said, not knowing who he was "thats easy for you to say, you have not lost a loved one". When the companions told her who he was, she asked for forgiveness and rasulullah (saws) said: Sabr is to be shown at the beginning of hardship.

2- al-itirjaa': to say immediately, sincerely, from the heart: "Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhee raji'uun" -Verily from Allah we come and to Him we return

3- The tongue and the senses do not act violently - use them correctly, don't get caught up in the pain of the moment

4- Hussnul sabr- sabrun jameel- the highest level, the most beautiful sabr

Sabr can be categorized into 3 levels:

1- Tarkus sabraa: the lowest level- when one does not complain but inside dislikes what's happening to them

2- Ar-ridhaa-bil-beelah: no complaint, to show satisfaction with the balaa (hardship), because they have yaqeen (certainty) that Allah only does to the 'abd what is best for them

3- Ash-shukr-alal-beelah: to have ridhaa (satisfaction) and to be grateful to Allah for the hardship because that person has yaqeen that this is to elevate his spiritual status- looks at the consequence, not the immediate event we are taught sabrun jameel in the story of yaqub and yusuf (as)

Ali (ra) said: Of the realization of the Majesty of Allah, and of knowledge of the right Allah (swt) has on His creation, is that when one is befallen with a calamity, one does not complain, does not even mention what has befallen him.

An 'abd should feel ashamed to describe the pain, we are complaining about the Creator to the creation?

ibn Qays (a tabi') said: I lost my eyesite 40 years ago, I have never told anyone.

an ulumah (didn't get the name): "Whosoever complains about a calamity that has befallen him to other than Allah, such an individual would never find the sweetness of ta'aa (obedience to Allah (swt)) in the heart"

How to attain sabr?

The cure to any disease of the heart (arrogance, anger, lack of hayaa)

1- ILM: brings desire and want to change, use the ilm the teacher conveys to you! brings about hazm- energy, resolve to change

2- AMAL: take it into everyday life, in your actions Qat'al asbaab- severing the ways and avenues to bad deeds. example: lowering the gaze for zinnah. for every haraam avenue, there is a halaal alternative.

No pain, no gain- condition your nafs and your qalb, or they will condition you

Work hard on uprooting the weeds of passion, disobedience and sin. Sow the seeds in your heart of the will to change and sincerity. Let the rain be the mercy and forgiveness of Allah purifying the land, our hearts.

The best door from which we can enter the majesty of Allah, is humility.

1- Always be conscious in our hearts and minds of Allah's nimaah

2- Always be conscious of our weaknesses, the sins we have committed. Have faqar- the opposite of pride, self-reliance, self-interest..

Qur'an: "InnaAllah ma'as sabireen: Verily Allah is WITH those who have sabr."

Ya Allah, make us of those who have sabr, and grant us Your mercy and Your forgiveness.

Ameen.

Jannah.org

Fasting on the day of Ashura

The Day of `Ashura’

When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) came to Medina he found the Jews fasting the day of Ashura, the tenth of Muharram. He asked them why they were fasting, and they told him it was an auspicious day: the day on which Allah saved Musa and his people and drowned Firaun and his people. Musa fasted out of gratitude to Allah and his people continued to practice after him. The messenger
of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) told the Jews that his nation was closer to Musa than them. He then fasted that day and ordered his Companions to fast. (1)

Several narrations point to the significance of this day from the earliest of times. It has been narrated that it was the day on which Allah forgave our father Adam, the day on which the Ark of Nuh came to rest on the mountain known as al‐Judi and the day on which Allah forgave the people of Yunus (peace be upon him and all the Prophets).

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) taught us to commemorate this day, primarily by fasting . He informed us that if we do so, Allah (swt) wipes out the sins of the previous year.(2) We may ask: if we have already fasted the Day of `Arafat then Allah has already erased our sins in the previous and coming year so what more can be gained from fasting on Ashura? Some scholars mentions that continuously fasting both days leads to a deeper erasure of of ones wrongdoings, protection from falling into sin and also has the effect of wiping out the wrongdoings of one’s family and neighbours.

Why does fasting on the day of Arafat wipe out the sins of two years whereas the day of`Ashura’ only wipes out the sins of one year? One reason, the scholars say, is that the Day of `Arafat is a day attributed to Sayyiduna Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) which is clearly superior to `Ashura’ which is attributed to Sayyiduna Musa (peace be upon him).

He recommended (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) that his Ummah also fast the day before or the day after so that our tradition be different from that of the Jews. We should also renew our repentance on `Ashura.’ The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said that it is a day on which Allah allowed a certain people to repent and He will continue to allow others to do the same. (3)

(1) Narrated by al‐Bukhari and Muslim
(2) Narrated by Muslim
(3) Narrated by al‐Tirmidhi

It has been narrated that if someone spends generously upon his family on the Day of`Ashura’ Allah will treat with him generosity for the rest of the year. Sufyan bin `Uyayna said, “We tried this for fifty years and all that we saw was good.” It has likewise been narrated that the one who gives charity on this day will have the reward of a whole year’s charity.

In Tarim people gather in Masjid Ba `Alawi on the eve of `Ashura’ to read the merits of the day and to make du`a. The day itself is a day of Eid. Children wear their best clothes,amusements are provided for them and gifts are given to them.

Shehnaz Karim

The Truth About Halloween

As Muslims we should not be celebrating Halloween at all because of the religious/spiritual (fortune telling/mystical) history of this event, and the fact that it would be Bid'ah for us. However, other people of faith, including Christians, should also take a look at the history of Halloween and decide on their own whether or not they want to celebrate it.  and besides it's savage history, halloween has been infamously known for being a really dangerous day in the year when many people get injured, die and hurt others - including children. Here is an article on the history of Halloween.

History of Halloween – Its Origins

Historically, the practice of Halloween can be traced back several 100 years before the birth of Christ. The Celts were a pre-Christian culture that was served by priests and druids. We learn about them through the Greek writers and the Roman Caesars. Early record of them has also been found in Ireland. In 47 BC the Romans defeated the Celts and outlawed their human sacrifice.

Many trace Halloween's origins to a festival of death, darkness, demons, superstitions, and worshipping the dead celebrated by the Celtic Druids of England. This group worshipped the sun god and built bonfires. "Bon" means good so these were meant to be "good fires" to appease the sun god so that the sun would come back again. Human sacrifice was made on these "good fires" and it was done at the end of the year when the days began to grow short and the sun shines less.

During his reign, Pope Gregory the Great incorporated the Druid festivals into the church. He decreed that they could no longer sacrifice to the devil but they could kill for food and give thanks to God. In the pagan calendar, October 31st was a festival honoring the sun god or the lord of the dead. It was celebrated with fire and was associated with darkness, death, and demon spirits. November 1st was the Celtic New Year.

However, in order to appease the Celts and incorporate them into the Church, Pope Gregory adopted the Celtic calendar in the 700's. He named November 1 as "All Saints Day" or "All Hallows day" with a specific purpose. It was set aside as a time of offering prayers for the dead something that is expressly against biblical truth. The focus was on the "saints" or the martyrs of the church and they were to be prayed for and to be commemorated on that day. October 31 then became "All Hallows Eve" which over time was shortened to "Halloween."

Note: The fact is that men have taken pagan customs and give them Christian trappings does not make them biblical. They become part of the traditions and the practices of men and the fact that they take place in church seems to lend legitimacy to them, but nothing could be further from the truth.

History of Halloween – The Early American Days

The Pilgrim forefathers who came to this country forbade Halloween and its practice because they knew of the source and history of this day. However, in 1840 the great potato famine in Ireland brought floods of immigrants into the United States and they brought their Roman and Celtic customs, superstitions, and practices with them. By the 1900 the practice of celebrating Halloween was wide spread.

History of Halloween – Today

What should a parent do? Should a parent forbid their children from celebrating the safe aspects of Halloween? The celebration of Halloween has become somewhat "benign" in our modern culture -- a time for children to go trick-or-treating and a time to have costume parties. We encourage parents to carefully consider the events and provide safe activities for their children.

One thing is certain. Avoid all evil aspects of the holiday. The practice of occult offerings is alive and well in many places including England and America. There may not be human sacrifices, but every year at Halloween people are warned to keep their cats under safe lock and key, especially black ones. Each year, there are several news stories of authorities finding the remains of these evil ritualistic "celebrations." There are ashes from the fires and the mutilated remains of animals. Of course, it is done in secret now but these people are becoming more and more emboldened in what they do. History is repeating itself.

http://www.allaboutpopularissues.org/history-of-halloween-faq.htm

Season of Hajj

Hajj literally means 'to set out for a place'. Islamically, however, it refers to the annual pilgrimage that Muslims make to Makkah with the intention of performing certain religious rites in accordance with the method prescribed by the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

Hajj and its rites were first ordained by Allah in the time of the Prophet lbrahim [Abraham] and he was the one who was entrusted by Allah to build the Kaba - the House of Allah - along with his son Ismail [Ishmael] at Makkah. Allah described the Kaba and its building as follows:

"And remember when We showed Ibrahim the site of the [Sacred] House [saying]: Associate not anything [in worship with Me and purify My House for those who circumambulate it [i.e. perform tawaaf] and those who stand up for prayer and those who bow down and make prostration [in prayer etc.]."

[Surah Al-Hajj 22:26]

After building the Kaba, Prophet Ibrahim would come to Makkah to perform Hajj every year, and after his death, this practice was continued by his son. However, gradually with the passage of time, both the form and the goal of the Hajj rites were changed. As idolatry spread throughout Arabia, the Kaba lost its purity and idols were placed inside it. Its walls became covered with poems and paintings, including one of Jesus and his mother Maryam and eventually over 360 idols came to be placed around the Kaba.

During the Hajj period itself, the atmosphere around the sacred precincts of the Kaba was like a circus. Men and women would go round the Kaba naked, arguing that they should present themselves before Allah in the same condition they were born. Their prayer became devoid of all sincere remembrance of Allah and was instead reduced to a series of hand clapping, whistling and the blowing of horns. Even the talbiah (Labayk allahumma labayk… -chant Muslims say while on pilgrimage) was distorted by them with the following additions: 'No one is Your partner except one who is permitted by you. You are his Master and the Master of what he possesses'.

Sacrifices were also made in the name of God. However, the blood of the sacrificed animals was poured onto the walls of the Kaba and the flesh was hung from pillars around the Kaba, in the belief that Allah demanded the flesh and blood of these animals.

Singing, drinking, adultery and other acts of immorality was rife amongst the pilgrims and the poetry competitions, which were held, were a major part of the whole Hajj event. In these competitions, poets would praise the bravery and splendor of their own tribesmen and tell exaggerated tales of the cowardice and miserliness of other tribes. Competitions in generosity were also staged where the chief of each tribe would set up huge cauldrons and feed the pilgrims, only so that they could become well-known for their extreme generosity.

Thus the people had totally abandoned the teachings of their forefather and leader Prophet Ibrahim. The House that he had made pure for the worship of Allah alone had been totally desecrated by the pagans and the rites which he had established were completely distorted by them. This sad state of affairs continued for nearly two and a half thousand years. But then after this long period, the time came for the supplication of Prophet Ibrahim to be answered:

"Our Lord! Send amongst them a Messenger of their own, who shall recite unto them your aayaat (verses) and instruct them in the book and the Wisdom and sanctify them. Verily you are the 'Azeezul-Hakeem [the All-Mighty, the All-Wise]."

[Surah Al-Baqarah 2:129]

Sure enough, a man by the name of Muhammad ibn 'Abdullaah (pbuh) was born in the very city that Prophet Ibrahim had made this supplication centuries earlier. For twenty-three years, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) spread the message of Tawheed [true monotheism] - the same message that Prophet Ibrahim and all the other Prophets came with - and established the law of Allah upon the land. He expended every effort into making the word of Allah supreme and his victory over falsehood culminated in the smashing of the idols inside the Kaba which once again became the universal center for the worshippers of the one True God.

Not only did the Prophet rid the Kaba of all its impurities, but he also reinstated all the rites of Hajj which were established by Allah's Permission, in the time of Prophet Ibrahim. Specific injunctions in the Quran were revealed in order to eliminate all the false rites which had become rampant in the pre-Islamic period. All indecent and shameful acts were strictly banned in Allah's statement:

"There is to be neither lewdness nor wrangles during Hajj."

[Surah al-Baqarah 2:197]

Competitions among poets in the exaltations of their forefathers and their tribesmen's achievements were all stopped. Instead, Allah told them:

"And when you have completed your rites [of Hajj] then remember Allah as you remember your forefathers; nay with a more vigorous remembrance."

[Surah al-Baqarah 2:200]

Competitions in generosity were also prohibited. Of course, the feeding of the poor pilgrims was still encouraged as this was done during the time of Prophet Ibrahim but Allah commanded that the slaughtering of the animals which was done for this purpose should be done seeking the pleasure of Allah rather than fame and the praise of the people. He said:

"So mention the name of Allah over these animals when they are drawn up in lines. Then, when they are drawn on their sides [after the slaughter], eat thereof and feed the beggar who does not ask, and the beggar who asks."

[Surah al-Hajj 22:36]

As for the deplorable practice of spattering blood of the sacrificed animals on the walls of the Kaba and hanging their flesh on alters, then Allah clearly informed them that:

"It is neither their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah, but it is Taqwaa (piety) from you that reaches Him."

[Surah al-Hajj 22:37]

The Prophet (pbuh) also put a stop to the practice of circling the Kaba in a state of nudity and the argument that the pagans put forward to justify this ritual was sharply rebutted in Allah's question:

"Say: Who has forbidden the adornment [i.e. clothes] given by Allah which He has produced for His Slaves?"

[Surah al-A'raaf 7:32]

Another custom which was prohibited through the Quran was that of setting off for Hajj without taking any provisions for the journey. In the pre-Islamic period, some people who claimed to be mutawakkiloon (those having complete trust in Allah) would travel to perform Hajj begging for food through the whole journey. They considered this form of behavior a sign of piety and an indication of how much faith they had in Allah. However Allah told mankind that to have sufficient provisions for the journey was one of the preconditions for making Hajj. He said:

"And take a provision [with you] for the journey, but the best provision is at-Taqwaa (piety)."

[Surah al-Baqarah 2:197]

In this way, all the pre-Islamic practices, which were based on ignorance, were abolished and Hajj was once more made a model of piety, fear of Allah, purity, simplicity and austerity. Now, when the pilgrims reach the Kaba, they no longer find the carnivals and the frolic and frivolity that had once occupied the minds of the pilgrims there before. Now, there is the remembrance of Allah at every step and every action and every sacrifice was devoted to Him alone. It was this kind of Hajj that was worthy of the reward of paradise, as the Prophet (pbuh) said: "The reward for an accepted Hajj is nothing less than paradise."

May Allah grant us all the ability to visit His House and perform the Hajj in the manner of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Aameen.

from: Islamicity.com

Ethnic Hijabi

Salam :)

So school has started, and once again new styles are in. This fall, ethnic and Aztec prints are becoming a sensational wardrobe must have! Look out for similar prints in stores, like the pieces below, and incorporate them into your Hijabi closet :)

 

Ethnic Hijabi by myga287 featuring studded handbags



My Body Is My Own Business

My Body is My Own Business
Naheed Mustafa

I often wonder whether people see me as a radical, fundamentalist Muslim terrorist packing an AK-47 assault rifle inside my jean jacket. Or maybe they see me as the poster girl for oppressed womanhood everywhere. I'm not sure which it is.

I get the whole gamut of strange looks, stares, and covert glances. You see, I wear the hijab, a scarf that covers my head, neck, and throat. I do this because I am a Muslim woman who believes her body is her own private concern.

Young Muslim women are reclaiming the hijab, reinterpreting it in light of its original purpose to back to women ultimate control of their own bodies.

The Qur'an teaches us that men and women are equal, that individuals should not be judged according to gender, beauty, wealth, or privilege. The only thing that makes one person better than another is her or his character.

Nonetheless, people have a difficult time relating to me. After all, I'm young, Canadian born and raised, university educated - why would I want to do this to myself, they ask.

Strangers speak to me in loud, slow English and often appear to be playing charades. They politely inquire how I like living in Canada and whether or not the cold bothers me. If I'm in the right mood, it can be very amusing.

But, why would I, a woman with all the advantages of a North American upbringing, suddenly, at 21, want to cover myself so that with the hijab and the other clothes I choose to wear, only my face and hands show?

Because it gives me freedom.

WOMEN are taught from early childhood that their worth is proportional to their attractiveness. We feel compelled to pursue abstract notions of beauty, half realizing that such a pursuit is futile.

When women reject this form of oppression, they face ridicule and contempt. Whether it's women who refuse to wear makeup or to shave their legs, or to expose their bodies, society, both men and women, have trouble dealing with them.

In the Western world, the hijab has come to symbolize either forced silence or radical, unconscionable militancy. Actually, it's neither. It is simply a woman's assertion that judgment of her physical person is to play no role whatsoever in social interaction.

Wearing the hijab has given me freedom from constant attention to my physical self. Because my appearance is not subjected to public scrutiny, my beauty, or perhaps lack of it, has been removed from the realm of what can legitimately be discussed.

No one knows whether my hair looks as if I just stepped out of a salon, whether or not I can pinch an inch, or even if I have unsightly stretch marks. And because no one knows, no one cares.

Feeling that one has to meet the impossible male standards of beauty is tiring and often humiliating. I should know, I spent my entire teenage years trying to do it. I was a borderline bulimic and spent a lot of money I didn't have on potions and lotions in hopes of becoming the next Cindy Crawford.

The definition of beauty is ever-changing; waifish is good, waifish is bad; athletic is good - sorry, athletic is bad. Narrow hips? Great. Narrow hips? Too bad.

Women are not going to achieve equality with the right to bear their breasts in public, as some people would like to have you believe. That would only make us party to our own objectification. True equality will be had only when women don't need to display themselves to get attention and won't need to defend their decision to keep their bodies to themselves.



Naheed Mustafa graduated from the University of Toronto with an honours degree in political science and history. She is currently [at the time this was written] studying journalism at Ryerson Polytechnic University.

Meatball Noodle Soup

Salam :)

This recipe is a delicious and hearty Afghan meatball noodle soup that is perfect anytime of the year, especially for Ramadan!

Ingredients:

• 6 oz (Half Pack) of noodles (prefferably thin Chinese style)
• 2 small onions (diced into small cubes)
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 2 cups of small mix frozen vegetables
• 1 can of tomato paste
• 1 can of drained mixed beans (or plain red kidney beans)
• 1/2 pound of ground beef (flavored with some salt, powdered coriander, black pepper, 1 finely chopped onion, finely chopped cilantro, diced (de-seeded) tomato, and 2 cloves garlic)
• 1 handful of fresh finely chopped cilantro
• 8 cups of water
• 4 Table spoon of oil
• (Spices) - 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander, black pepper, oregano, and basil

Directions:

• In a pot/pressure cooker, sautay your onions and garlic in oil until golden brown.
• Add your tomato paste
• Add 8 cups of water (or fill pot till midway)
• While it comes to boil, make small round balls from your flavored ground meat
• Place the meat balls into the boiling liquid
• Add spices and cover lid
• Cook for about 20 minutes with a pressure cooker, or 45 minutes in a regular pot - so meat cooks thoroughly
• After - Add your frozen vegetables, beans and noodles, and cook for about 10-15 minutes.
• Your soup is ready

.... Best served with a dallop of plain yogurt and lemon juice....

Enjoy!

Salah: Life's forgotten purpose

Yasmin Mogahed:

Man has taken many journeys throughout time. But there is one journey that nobody has ever taken.

Nobody—except one.

On a vehicle no man has ever ridden, through a path no soul has ever seen. To a place no creation has ever before set foot. It was the journey of one man to meet the Divine. It was the journey of Muhammad ﷺ, prophet of God, to the highest heaven.

It was al Israa wal Miraaj (the magnificent journey).

On that journey Allah took his beloved prophet ﷺ to the seventh heaven—a place not even angel Gibreel could enter. In the Prophet’s mission on earth, every instruction, every commandment was sent down through angel Gibreel. But, there was one commandment that was not. There was one commandment so important, that rather than sending angel Gibreel down with it, Allah brought the Prophet ﷺ up to Himself.

That commandment was salah (prayer). When the Prophet ﷺ was first given the command to pray, it was to be fifty times in a day. After asking Allah to make it easier, the commandment was eventually reduced to five times a day, with the reward of the fifty.

Reflecting upon this incident scholars have explained that the process of going from fifty to five was a deliberate one, intended to teach us the true place salah should hold in our lives. Imagine for a moment actually praying fifty times a day. Would we be able to do anything else but pray? No. And that’s the point. What greater way than that to illustrate our life’s true purpose? As if to say, salah is our real life; all the rest that we fill our day with…just motions.

And yet, we live as if it’s exactly the opposite. Salah is something we squeeze into our day, when we find time—if that. Our ‘lives’ don’t revolve around salah. Salah revolves around our ‘lives.’ If we’re in class, salah is an afterthought. If we’re at the mall, the Macy’s sale is more urgent. Something is seriously wrong when we put aside the very purpose of our existence in order to watch a basketball game.

And that is for those who even pray at all. There are those who have not only put aside their life’s purpose, they have abandoned it completely. What we often don’t realize about the abandonment of salah is this: No scholar has ever held the opinion that committing zina (fornication) makes you a disbeliever. No scholar has ever held the opinion that stealing, drinking or taking drugs makes you a disbeliever. No scholar has even claimed that murder makes you a non-Muslim. But, about salah, some scholars have said he who abandons it, is no longer Muslim. This is said based on ahadith such as this one: “The covenant between us and them is prayer, so if anyone abandons it, he has become a disbeliever.” [Ahmad]

Imagine an act so egregious that the Prophet ﷺ would speak about it is such a way. Consider for a moment what satan did wrong. He didn’t refuse to believe in Allah. He refused to make one sajdah. Just one. Imagine all the sajdahs we refuse to make.

Consider the seriousness of such a refusal. And yet, think how lightly we take the matter of salah. Salah is the first thing we will be asked about on the Day of Judgment, and yet it is the last thing that is on our mind. The Prophet ﷺ said: “The first thing which will be judged among a man’s deeds on the Day of Resurrection is the Prayer. If this is in good order then he will succeed and prosper but if it is defective then he will fail and will be a loser.” [Tirmidhi]

On that Day, the people of paradise will ask those who have entered Hell-fire, why they have entered it. And the Qur’an tells us exactly what their first response will be: ”What led you into Hell Fire? They will say: ‘We were not of those who prayed.’” (Qur’an, 74:42-43)

How many of us will be among those who say “we were not of those who prayed, or we were not of those who prayed on time, or we were not of those who made prayer any priority in our lives?” Why is it that if we’re in class or at work or fast asleep at the time of fajr and we need to use the restroom, we make time for that? In fact, the question almost sounds absurd. We don’t even consider it an option not to. And even if we were taking the most important exam of our lives, when we need to go, we will go. Why? Because the potentially mortifying consequences of not going, makes it a non-option.

There are many people who say they don’t have time to pray at work or school, or while they’re out. But how many have ever said they don’t have time to go to the bathroom, so while out, at work or school have opted instead to just wear Depends? How many of us just don’t feel like waking up at Fajr time if we need to use the bathroom, and choose instead to wet our bed? The truth is we’ll get out of bed, or leave class, or stop work, to use the bathroom, but not to pray.

It sounds comical, but the truth is we put the needs of our body above the needs of our soul. We feed our bodies, because if we didn’t, we’d die. But so many of us starve our souls, forgetting that if we are not praying our soul is dead. And ironically, the body that we tend to is only temporary, while the soul that we neglect is eternal.

The Muslims Belief

Messengers of Allah:

Allah has many messengers. The first messenger is Adam (as) and the last is Muhammad (pbuh). All messengers are created human beings and don’t have the divine qualities that Allah does. We believe that Allah ended all his messages with Muhammad’s message which was “Say O mankind, I am Allah’s messenger to you all. To him belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth; there is no god but He. He ordains life and death. So believe in Allah and his messenger, the unlettered prophet who believes in Allah and his words. Follow him so that you may be rightly guided”.

A beautiful composition by Lina Rahguzar,
Grade 8

Why do we fast?

Q: Why do Muslims fast?

A: There are 3 main reasons why a Muslim fasts during Ramadan.

1) Muslims fast during Ramadan, firstly, because it is the fourth pillar of Islam, and Allah (swt) ordered us to do so. "...fasting is prescribed for you (Muslims)..." (2:183) and " Ramadan is the month in which the Quran was sent down as a guide to humanity, and to provide clear signs for guidance and judgment. So whoever witnesses the month of Ramadan should fast through it..." (2:185).

By fasting, we get to feel they way the poor and hungry feel; it reminds us, when we forget, that our brothers and sisters go through this pain much too often, and so our hearts become softened, and we become more generous.

2) We learn to control ourselves - mentally and physically. Fasting is not limited to abstaining from food and drink - we also abstain from lying, foul language, sexual activity, medicine (unless it is necessary), etc. By keeping away from these things, we learn to control our desires. We learn to be in charge of our bodies rather than to let our bodies be in charge of us. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) once remarked "Whoever does not give up lying and acting on lies during fasting, then Allah has no need of him giving up food and drink." - Bukhari

3) Fasting is healthy for the mind body and soul. When we stop over feeding our bodies, and fast, "our body initiates it's own healing mechanisms, and any ailment may show improvement." - allaboutfasting.com. We constantly over work our bodies by over eating - and just like when we get tired from over working all day then set aside small matters for another day - our body does like wise. Because it is estimated that 65% of the body's energy must be directed to the digestive organs after a heavy meal - fasting is like a vacation for our bodies! With the extra energy your body has, when it is not busy digesting a meal, it begins to heal and work on other areas of the body such as repairing cells and detoxing. Antiaging effects, weight loss, clear skin and clarity (of the mind and soul) are just some of the many benefits of fasting!

Ramadan Dua's: Day 3

ALLAH, on this day, grant me wisdom and awareness, keep me away from foolishness and pretension, grant me a share in every blessing You send down, by You generosity, O the most Generous.

Ramadan Dua's: Day 2

ALLAH, on this day, take me closer towards Your pleasure, keep me away from Your anger and punishment, grant me the opportunity to recite Your verses (of the Qur'an), by Your mercy, O the most Merciful.



Ramadan Dua's: Day 1

ALLAH, on this day make my fasts the fasts of those who fast (sincerely), and my standing up in prayer of those who stand up in prayer (obediently), awaken me in it from the sleep of the heedless, and forgive me my sins , O God of the worlds, and forgive me, O one who forgives the sinners.