Ramadan Kareem :)

Wishing you one month of Ramadan,

4 weeks of barakat,

30 days of forgiveness,

720 hours of guidance,

43200 minutes of purification,

... and 259200 seconds of noor!"

Ramadan Kareem to everyone! May Allah forgive us and our familes and keep us on the straight path always. Alhamdullilah Allah has blessed each of us with another year of Ramadan, so let's use it to our full advantage Inshallah :)

Inshallah we will try and update the blog as much as we can during this time.

Please forgive us for any of our mistakes and short comings, only Allah (swt) is perfect.
We hope that you may attain even once piece of knowledge from our blog Inshallah.

Salam,
Aasia and Aalia

Ayat al-Kursi

2:255

The Throne Verse

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

Allah! There is no God but He,

the Living, the Self-subsisting, the Eternal.

No slumber can seize Him, nor sleep.

All things in heaven and earth are His.

Who could intercede in His presence without His permission?

He knows what appears in front of and behind His creatures.

Nor can they encompass any knowledge of Him except what he wills.

His throne extends over the heavens and the earth,

and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them,

for He is the Highest and Most Exalted.

Allah, the Most High, speaks the truth



The benefits of this ayah are many, but it mainly provides you with protection

So read it in the morning, night, on trips and when you leave the house.

Actually...read it whenever you can :)

Quran & Science

The greatest miracle of Islam is the Quran itself. It is the true, unchanged and unadulturated word of God for the past 1400 years. It's divine text not only includes the best ways to live, the secret to enlightment and the history of mankind...it includes scientific miracles; facts that no one knew about 1400 years ago. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was a wise, honorable and honest man, but he was illiterate; and that is the beauty of Islam and it's truth as well. That proves for a fact that the Quran was the word of God, not man.

The following link is a website that includes the extraordinary revealings of the Quran and it's science and compares it to modern science. Please take a look at it :)  

Quran&Science.com

The Quran

If the whole of mankind and Jinn were to gather together to produce the like of this Qur'an, they could not produce the like thereof, even if they backed up each other with help and support. And We have explained to man, in this Qur'an, every kind of similitude: Yet the greater part of men refuse ( to receive it ) except with ingratitude.  (Isra 88-89)

Finals!

Salam :)

So it's finals week, and you're stressed out. Too many subjects, too much to do, and so little time. There are some gifted people out there who are hyped up and ready to go for exams. But for most of us, some good late nights of studying and large mugs of coffee get us through.

We thought of helping out by offering some super easy, fast and effective dua's for help with clearing your mind and prepping you for some good studying.  We hope they help Inshallah :)


Rabbish rahli sadri wa yas-sir li amri wahloul uqdatam mil-lisaani yafqahu qawli
 رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِي صَدْرِي وَيَسِّرْ لِي أَمْرِي وَاحْلُلْ عُقْدَةً مِّن لِّسَانِي يَفْقَهُوا قَوْلِي
O my Lord! expand me my breast; Ease my task for me; And remove the impediment from my speech, So they may understand what I say

Rabbi zidni 'Ilma
رَّبِّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا
O my Lord! advance me in knowledge.

Allâhumma infa‘nî bimâ ‘allamtanî wa ‘allimnî ma yanfa‘unî.
اللَّهُمَّ انْفَعْنِي بِمَا عَلَّمْـتَنِي وَ عَلِّمْنِي مَا يَنْفَعُنِ
Oh Allah! Make useful for me what You taught me and teach me knowledge that will be useful to me.

Allâhumma innî as’aluka fahm an-nabiyyîna wa hifdh al-mursalîn al-muqarrabîn
.اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ فَهْمَ النَّ بِيِّينَ وَ حِفْظَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ
 Oh Allah! I ask You for the understanding of the prophets and the memory of the messengers, and those nearest to You.


Remembering Allah is very important because He is the one who helps us with all our problems. As gifted as you may be, don't forget to take time to thank Him. And if you need more help, only He can guide you.

Salam

Ramadan Mubarak!

Asalamualaikum,

Yesterday, August 11 2010, was the first official day of Ramadan Alhamdullilah! As a Muslim you see your home go into a wonderful transition for Ramadan, everyone prepares themself and their homes in their own way. You feel much closer to Allah, and your love for Islam grows. Dinners are even more joyous than ever and going to the Masjid for Taraweeh is like sealing every day of your fast.

During this month we need to remember that fasting is not only abstinence from food and water, but it is much more. During this month Muslims all over the world practice self control, over their desires and physical needs during the daylight hours. The eyes must restrain from seeing bad things, the ears must restrain from hearing bad things, the tongue must restrain from saying bad things, and the hand must restrain from doing bad things.

By doing this, we learn to have control over our bodies and our desires. We put these things aside to become closer to Allah. And our bodies and desires, no longer have control over us.
We also learn how it feels to be not able to eat and drink for long periods of time like poor people. And we learn to respect them and willingly give our share of zakat (charity) or even more.
During this month we also go through a cleanse, a bodily and spiritual cleanse. We spiritually go through a cleanse because we restrain from bad things and we strive to become better Muslims. We let go of our worldly desires to be closer to Allah. We are also cleansed from our toxins when we fast.

We got this from the article Benefits of Fasting, by Rukhsana Badr
"In Fasting and Eating for Health, Joel Fuhrman, M.D., states that an important element of fasting detoxification is mobilizing the toxins from their storage areas. He notes that superfluous tissue such as fat, abnormal cells and tumors are broken down and these toxic materials are released into the circulation for elimination."

These acts of sacrifice and self control help strengthen our mind, body, soul and Iman.

Narrated Abu Huraira(r.a): The Prophet said:"... whoever fasts during Ramadan out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allah's rewards, then all his past sins will be forgiven." (Sahih Al-Bukhari).

"Oh you who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that you many learn piety and rightousness" (Qur'an, al-Baqarah, 2:183)

There is no month in comparison to Ramadan. This is a month where you can be rid of all your past sins, a month where you can be promised paradise, and a month where you become closest to Allah. So please take full advantage of it and do anything that makes you feel like a better Muslim.

Salam and Ramadan Mubarak,

MYGA

Q&A: Islam and Muslims

Salam,

Welcome Q&A as the newest addition on our blog! Every week for "Question and Answer" we will pick 3 hot questions about Islam and Muslims and answer them. Feel free to send or ask any question, we'll try our best to answer it for you :)

1) Why is Arabic the Language of the Quran?

First off, we'd like to mention that in Islam no one person or kind is better than another. Sometimes people feel that because Arabic is the chosen language of the Quran that perhaps being Arab is a privilidge, but in Allahs eyes, everyone is the same. So this leaves people wondering, why is Arabic the chosen language? well, here are some reasons:

Arabic is a rich and highly developed language, it has perfect grammer and is complete and whole - in fact, it is the only language in the world with perfect grammer. Another fact worthy of pointing out is that the Middle East is located in the crossroads of the world, making it easier to spread in every direction. And because of the Middle East's vast trade business, Arabic, the Quran and Islam has spread all over the world Alhamdullilah.

2) What is Islam's biggest Miracle?

Islams biggest miracle is the Quran.

No other book in the world has been read or memorized more than the Quran...Including the Bible which was sent down way before it. You may be wondering, how is that a miracle? Well..its not, but the following facts are.

The Quran contains scientific statements which no one could have known in the time of the Prophet such as: Salt water and fresh water do not mix easily. There is a "barrier" between them - (27:61;55:19-22) another one would be The moon is reffered to as "Munir" or a light reflector, while the sun is referred to as a "Siraj" or light producer -(25:61;71:15-16; 78:12-13). These are just two of the many scientific facts noted in the Quran, others include information on how pregnancy occurs, the fact that life is made up of water, how clouds work, about the plant bodies and even outer space.

The Quran is a book of healing, power, guidance and direction. No human could have possibly written it, especially 1400 years back. And to prove this fact even more so, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was illiterate. He did not know how to read or write..so how could he have written such a powerful book?

3) Why do Muslim women cover themselves and wear the scarf?

This question is asked so often, but sometimes people are still confused and dont understand even after an explanation.

The "Hijab" or full body covering of a muslim women is fard meaning compulsory because it guards her modesty, protects her dignity and keeps her from becoming an object in the eyes of strange men.

Men dont wear the Hijab because they are known from the begining of time for not always being able to control their animalistic desires while women can..women have been created as more beautiful then men and their beauty is not meant for every eye to see.

When a women wears the hijab her level of class is much higher than a women who wears skimpy clothing.. people take her more seriously, people assume she is smart, professional, has the same capabilites as the man standing next to her, and is not looked at as an object. When a women who is covered is given a compliment for her work she knows it not for any other reason whereas a women who is not covered has to think twice as to what her compliment really was for.

If you still dont understand as to why Muslim women cover themselves think of this:

Two women (friends) are walking down an alley. One of the friends is fully clothed and covered while the other is wearing tight jeans and a tank top. At the end of an alley, there is a pervert. Who do you think the pervert is going to harrass? The women covered? Or the women who has tight jeans and almost nothing for a top?

Heres another scenario to consider:

You walk into a jewelry store. You see a really nice pair of earrings. There are two sets of the same earrings, one is a tester that everyone gets to try on to see if it fits or not, and the other is brand new, cased and behind the shelf. Although they are both the same set, the one behind the shelf is more expensive...which one would you prefer?

The hijab is not oppression done to a women by man..on the contrary, it liberates a woman. It makes her free to be not looked at as an object, free to voice her own opinion, and free from the societies idea of what a women should look like. Its not about hiding your self from the world.. In fact, its about being able to express more without being treated as an object or an un-equal being.