Apr 27, 2008

Heart-felt Dua'a

Assalamualaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barahatuh,

Insha'Allah you are all enjoying the blessings of Allah (swt).

I'm sad :'(

Time for a dua'a!


O Allah, O Karim,

Please have Mercy on me.

O Allah, O Karim,

Please forgive me

for the sins I committed in the past

and those I will commit in the future.

O Allah,

have Mercy on all the Muslimeen,

and guide them.

Guide me O Allah,

and guide my parents,

my siblings, my cousins,

my aunts and uncles,

and so forth.

O Allah,

I ask You

to strengthen my Iman and the Iman of those around me.

I ask You to soften my heart

and to soften the hearts of the Believers.

O Allah,

forgive me for my shortcomings,

for only You are Perfect.

O Allah,

Please forgive me

if I ever got too wrapped in a matter

that I didn't have the time to utter Your Name.

O Allah,

Please Forgive me for all the salat I missed

because of ignorance or laziness,

Please forgive me for all the fasts I didn't make up.

O Allah,

Please forgive me

for the quarter I never dropped

into the metal cup for the homeless man begging on the street.

O Allah,

Please spark the love of Islam in my heart

and in the hearts of every single Muslim

until it gets implanted in their children

and their children’s children and so on.

O Allah,

I ask that You help me for I am weak

and will only grow stronger by Your Strength,

so Allah Please Strengthen me

to fight Shaitan and his whispers.

And if I ever fell into his trap

and followed my desire,

then sincerely forgive me,

for that displays not only my weakness,

but Your Greatness as well.

O Allah, Please lighten the punishment in the grave

for those before us and those after us.

O Allah, lighten the punishment

and shed light into every Muslim's grave.

O Allah, if I ever was too afraid

to stand up for Your Deen

because of what others would think,

then Forgive me, for I was a fool for doing so.

O Allah, Please Protect me and every other Muslim,

especially the orphans and the widows.

O Allah, Please Strengthen the faith

of the destitute Muslims around the world,

so they have hope to live.

O Allah, if I ever forgot to do du'a

for even one suffering Muslim,

then Forgive me

for then it is as if I haven't done du'a

for the entire Ummah.

O Allah,

Please be the Light of my eyes, ears and heart.

O Allah,

Please be the Light on the sides of me

and the Light behind me

and the Light in front of me.

O Allah, Please forgive me

for all the foul words I spoke

either out of ignorance or

because I was trying to be "cool."

O Allah, please forgive me

if I never stopped to think about You,

due to "other important things."

O Allah, Please forgive me

for not having enough time

or creating time for reading the Qur'an.

O Allah, please forgive me

for listening to music

and watching movies and TV excessively.

O Allah, please forgive me

for all the yelling I've done

and the arguments I've been in.

For the only time

the voice should be raised

is for Your Praises!

O Allah, please forgive me

for my disrespect towards my family,

elders, siblings and so on.

O Allah, please forgive me

for any backbiting I have been accused of,

whether I did it consciously or unconsciously.

O Allah, Rab al-Alamin,

Forgive me,

Forgive me for everything.

So for everyone,

every single Muslim,

dead or alive,

I do du'a that you forgive them

for all their sins.

O Allah,

Please Please Please

help the suffering Muslims

of Kashmir, Palestine, Chechnya,

Bosnia, Gujarat, Nigeria,

Iraq, Afghanistan and everywhere around the world.

Please O Allah, make the Mujahideen victorious,

and let the beauty of Islam reign!

O Allah, Give victory to the Muslims!

O Allah, Please let True Islam reign!

O Allah, Please increase our knowledge

of Your Deen and this world.

Oh Allah, Please Help us all and guide us,

for You are Everything to us.

O Allah,

I cannot stress how much I ask

for Your Forgiveness and Your Guidance.

O Allah,

I fear You,

I fear You soooo much words cannot describe.

I fear the day when I will meet You,

and I WILL meet You.

When we are one on one,

and I have no one's help or support.

No one can take the blame for me

nor I for them.

The only thing I will have

is a little book given to me by You

that has my deeds.

O Allah,

Please porgive me for my thoughts,

for even though I get sinned only for my actions,

I cannot help but feel guilty for my thoughts

and I ask You to Forgive me for them

and to clear my mind of any impurities

until You become the Only thing on my mind.

O Allah,

Please forgive me

if I ever did anything out of gain

for this life and not for Your pleasure.

If I ever did anything to "show off"

then please forgive me for that.

O Allah,

I do du'a

that You grant us all God-Fearing spouses

and grant us righteous children.

Oh Allah,

I do du'a

that You continue to strengthen this Ummah

until the Day of Resurrection.

O Allah,

Forgive me

for whatever I have not mentioned,

for I am bound to forget

....but You,

through Your Greatness...

You Never Forget.

O Allah,

Please Grant

all the Muslims

Jannah-tul-Firdaws.

O Allah,

I ask that You shed Your Mercy

on all the Prophets (peace be upon them)

and on all the Angels (peace be upon them).

Lastly, I du'a

shed Your Mercy

on the Prophet Muhammad (saw) ,

his family and companions.

I du'a

that you grant Muhammad (saw)

the Highest Station in Paradise.

Rabinna Aataina

Fiduniya Hasinathow

Wa Fil Akhirati Hasinathow,

Wakina Adhab innaar

Ameen.

Insha'Allah make dua'a for this sister of yours,

ma'asalaam =)

Leia Mais

Apr 20, 2008

One Hour a Day - Da'wah

Assalamualaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh

Insha’Allah you are enjoying the blessings of Allah subhanahu wa ta'allah.

"Time is our capital in this life. It has to be invested for the maximum possible return."

When the Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam) received the order to 'arise and warn', he started calling others to Islam and continued to do so, day and night, until he died. Time was very important for him and he used every minute of it in the best possible way. He would meet regularly with his companions to teach them Qur'an and to warn them from disobeying Allah. He was an example to them in speech and in deeds.

The result of this education was that the companions' faith became the most important thing for them. And when they had to choose between their home, tribe and good living on the one hand and the companionship of the Prophet, (sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam) on the other hand, they chose the latter and emigrated for the sake of Allah and exemplified sacrifice for the sake of one's belief. After thirteen years of hard work and sacrifice in Makkah, the Prophet and his companions were granted victory in Madinah.

How do our efforts today compare with those of the Prophet and his companions? One year of our life has passed. How many good deeds have we prepared for the Day of Judgment? What did we, as individuals and communities, do for Islam? Were we distracted by our money and our children from the obedience of Allah and Jihad for His sake? Allah said: "O you who believe! Let not your money or your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah. If any act as such, then surely they are the losers." (Qur'an, 63:9) The Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, said: "No servant will be let go on the Day of Judgment until he is asked about the four matters: His lifetime: How did he spend it? His knowledge: What did he use it for? His money: Where did he gain it from and what did he spend in it? And his body: In what did he wear it away?"
[At-Tirmidhi]

Have we used our bodies for fasting, praying, enjoining good and forbidding evil or have we used them up by succumbing to our desires?

Muslims have to realize the importance of time: that it is their capital in this life and that it is to be invested for the maximum possible return. Suppose for a minute that every Muslim dedicates one hour a day to work for the sake of Allah. In financial terms, this would generate a minimum of 1 billion dollars a day, 360 billion dollars a year! If such amount were to be reserved for Islamic work, it would change the face of the earth. Suppose that every Muslim were to spend one hour calling others to the path of Allah: millions would enter Islam!

Muslims today need to build their Ummah and revive it. And this does not come through futile discussions but rather through work, sincere, continuous, careful and planned. We need to strengthen the body of this Ummah and protect it from the dangers surrounding it. We need to deepen the awareness of the Muslims about their identity, their history, their wealth and the fact that they are one single nation. And to start with, we need to invest in the Muslim individual because we are the instruments for change.

Insha'Allah keep me in your dua's,

Ma’asalaam =)

source: AlJumuah Magazine

Leia Mais

Apr 15, 2008

Personality

Assalamualaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh,

Who are you? What are you like? Trainspotter or trendsetter? Easily provoked or laid back?

Often we are the products of our environment whether it is due to our friends, family, fashion, media or society. Together these factors unconsciously mould our characters, dictating both our thoughts and behaviour.

Is this the way you want to be? A Muslim is called to continually assess and enhance his or her own personality.

This is achieved with reference to the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad

"You have indeed in the Messenger of Allah (Muhammad) a Beautiful Pattern (of Conduct)..."
[Surah al-Ahzab; 33:21]

"And thou (standest) on an exalted standard of character."
[Surah al-Qalam; 68:4]

A comprehensive understanding of his character cannot be given in one short essay. The complexity of his life is such that many Muslim and non-Muslim scholars have been driven to write volumes to try and understand what inspired him and the subsequent impact of his life upon human history.

To help attain an idea of his importance one requires a description of his manners and lifestyle.

Muhammad (Sallalahu Alayhi Wasalam) was a man who spoke very little, his sentences would be short yet full of deep meaning.

He listened more than he spoke, sometimes he would be silent for long periods of time.

He was unusually quiet and reserved, generally pensive and sorrowful - always wrapped up in his thoughts and meditations.

Yet when he spoke, his words carried depth and he did not need to speak for long in order to be understood.

Most of his laughter was no more than smiling, and if he was pleased he would lower his gaze. He would get angry only when a matter of principle was mocked or violated and he would not be pleased until the matter was resolved.

Yet he would never get angry for personal reasons - he was always forgiving, and he would never retaliate against personal insults; here he would be patient and gracious.

Though he was a very busy man, he would quite often attend to his own chores by washing and sewing his own clothes and mending his own shoes, though there were many who would have jumped at the chance to do these chores for him.

At home he would divide his time between three portions: his family, himself and God.

His own individual time used to be taken up by his companions who used to visit him regularly, he would receive them in kindness, waiting upon them, serving and honouring them. He would enquire about their needs and try to help them as much as he could.

Sometimes he would also ask about those who were not present.

He would be the last to drink if drinks were served in his home, normally with only one bowl to go round.

When he was talking to his companions he would honour their feelings by never bringing any topics which might hurt them or lower their spirits, and instead of mocking someone he would try to help them with their weaknesses.

The companions used to love staying with him so much that they would overstay in his house, to such an extent that some verses were revealed asking the companions to respect the Prophet's wish for privacy.

For those who were very poor, he was a supporter and guardian, providing food and lodging from whatever little he possessed.

His warmth was such that even little children would run up to him asking him to play with them even though he was over fifty years old; the Prophet would listen and play merry-go-round with them.

Towards his enemies he was still forgiving, and if they were firm with him, then he was firm with them.

History records that those who set out to kill him would later become his closest friends. Though in the later stages of his life, he had access to much wealth, he still lived as a humble servant of God.

His greatest delight ultimately lay in his prayer, especially those that he offered during the darkness of the night. Whose example do you prefer over Muhammad, the Greatest Muslim Personality?

Reading about the Prophet and his way of life always brings me to tears. SubhanAllah, he was so patient and gentle at times where I feel like I could explode! His personality was incomparable and insha’Allah, Allah (SWT) will guide us on the straight path so that we can be more like An-Nabi (SAW). Ameen.

Insha’Allah make dua’ for your sister,

ma’asalaam =)

mutma'inaa

Leia Mais

Apr 12, 2008

The Most Beautiful names of Allah (SWT)


Assalamualaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh,

Insha’Allah you are in the best states of Iman and Ihsan.

I know, it’s almost halfway through the month and I haven’t done the Name of the Month. I had misplaced the book I use, Samira Fayyad Khawaldeh’s The Most Beautiful names of Allah but alhamdulillah I have found it now soooo…

This month’s Most Beautiful and Glorious Name is Ar-Rahim (The Merciful).

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

“There is no god but He, the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate.” (2:163)

Rahim (الرحيم) is another attribute, also in the intensive form derived from rahma (mercy). Here ‘mercy’ implies pity, patience and forgiveness, all of which sinners need. “O My servants who have transgressed against their souls; do not despair of Allah’s mercy; surely He is the All-Forgiving, the All-Compassionate.” (39:53)

Allah is more merciful than vengeful. In a Holy Hadith, He says, “My mercy surpasses my wrath.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

“My mercy embraces all things, and I shall prescribe ir for those who are god-fearing” (7:156). “Do you think this mother would throw her infant child in the fire? Allah is more merciful to His servants than she is to her child.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

To be merciful is essential for a Muslim: “The merciful ones will be given mercy by the All-merciful. Be merciful to those who are on this earth and the One in heaven will have mercy on you.” (Al-Bukhari)

“My mercy embraces all things, and I shall prescribe it for those who are god-fearing.” (7:156)

May Allah (SWT) have mercy on our souls and may He take us as Muslims. Ameen.

ma'asalaam =)

Leia Mais

Apr 11, 2008

IslamoPHOBIA

Assalamualikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh,

Insha'Allah you are all enjoying the blessings of Allah (SWT).
Recently, I wrote an article for my local newspaper. Alhamdulillah, it was received very well. Besides the odd hypocritical, anti-Muslim comment, most people acknowledged me for shedding light on such a relevant and important issue.
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Agoraphobia. Claustrophobia. Motorphobia. Heck, there’s even a phobia for beards – Pogonophobia. I had heard the term “phobia” quite often, and although perceiving it to entail some sort of fear of something, I never quite understood what it truly meant, since I was not afraid of leaving my home, nor was I fearful of closed spaces, cars or beards for that matter. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines phobia as “an exaggerated usually inexplicable and illogical fear of a particular object, class of objects, or situation.” It was not until I grew much older that I realized what phobia really meant, and the effects it could have not only on greater social society, but on an individual level as well – in short the effect a certain phobia would have on me.

I remember the first time I was exposed to what I know now as constituting a phobia. In this case, it is now defined in my mind as Islamophobia. I remember it really well because when you are 9 years-old, things like this traumatize you. It had been two years since I had started wearing a hijab, a religious head-covering worn by Muslim women, as well as modest loose-fitting clothing which is supposed to cover everything except the face and hands. Quite contrary to the notion of being forced to do so, I chose to wear it myself. I was walking down the school stairs before lunchtime when this big guy in grade five pushed me and said “Don’t you know you can’t wear hats in school?” Although it sounds ludicrous now, when most adults in a multicultural metropolitan like Toronto know or should know that hijabs look nothing like hats, at the time, I was too young and shy to even think of hurling words back at him. That day, my only way of coping with the hurt was to go home and cry.

Comments about the hijab can range from silly, to rude, to absolutely disgusting. Hijabs aside, something that really bothers me is when the random individual tells me to “go back home to my country.” Has it ever occurred to them that maybe, just maybe, Canada is my country? I have heard many similar stories, in fact, I have even read about them. Recently I became aware, through the radio, the news and newspapers; of a woman named Halima Muse who wanted to wear an ankle length skirt instead of a mini skirt at work (she worked at the airport scanning luggage and such). The comments some Torontonians gave in response to the issue were often supportive. However, more often than not, I would see the typical “if she can’t abide by it, she ought to not work there” and “she can go back home to her country or find somewhere that suits her beliefs.” This sort of mentality is prevalent in Toronto. There have been numerous times when people approached me or my sisters and told us to go back to our country. The first time somebody said this to me, I was completely stunned because Canada is my birth country. I thought they were asking me a series of conversational questions so I went on a long rant about how I wanted to go back to the city I was born in, Calgary. Another thing that bothers me is when people take long pauses between words and use exaggerated hand gestures when talking to me as if I do not know English. Hello. English is my first language!

Before 9/11, when people asked me where I was from, I told them that my parents were from Afghanistan and the usual response was, “Where is that?” Nowadays, the response is something like “Ha! Terrorist!” or “Hey, are you related to Osama bin Laden?” Comments like this make me think. Are they trying to imply that I am a terrorist, or are they really so naïve as to think that every single Afghan is related to every other Afghan (including Osama bin Laden, who is, you guessed it, not Afghan)? Wow. What I cannot comprehend is that when a terrorist attack is carried out by the odd fanatic, as soon as people find out that the terrorist was a “Muslim”, or is named Ahmad or Muhammad or has an Abu or bin somewhere in his name, they blame Islam. The terrorist was a Muslim. Muslims are terrorists. All Muslims are terrorists and even if they are not, we can prove many of them are. Ehem, ever heard of Daniel Pipes?

Along with branding most Muslims as terrorists, the media has spoon-fed the public into thinking that Muslim women who cover their heads are deprived of their rights and are inferior to men. The media then takes verses from the Qur’an out of context and makes it seem like we are forced to cover ourselves modestly. In actuality, to me, the hijab makes sense. Contrary to what people think, a hijab keeps a girl cool in the summer time. I see people sweat and get all sticky and smelly during the summer. Personally, I have never gotten sweaty under my hijab! Many times people have told me that they feel sorry for me because I wear the hijab along with long sleeved shirts and pants year round, including the summer. In fact it has been proven that wearing long sleeves prevents diseases like skin cancer and other sunburn-related skin diseases. If a random woman decided to cover her head with a designer scarf, wear long sleeves and a long skirt, she would not be looked at horribly. For that matter, nuns, with their long black robes and head coverings are seen as pious and pure. If my clothing is so similar to theirs, why do I not merit the same judgment?

My sister was once walking to her class downtown. While walking towards the subway station, a homeless man approached her and asked her for money. She sincerely had no change and told him so. As she walked away he started to follow her and whispered to her that he knew that she had a bomb with her. When she paid him no heed, he screamed, “She has a bomb! I saw it! She’s going to bomb the subway station!” My sister hardly reacted and walked into the subway station where the homeless man could not follow her. Nobody did anything but stare. A friend of hers was harassed downtown for also apparently “having a bomb” by a nicely dressed man in an expensive suit. Such is the state of the society that Muslims cannot go anywhere without being pigeonholed as a terrorist at least once in their lives.

Ask any Muslim and they will tell you that in some way or other, whether directly or indirectly, they have been a victim of hate crimes. It could be graffiti on the walls of the local mosque, or a face-to-face confrontation with someone who has a fight in mind. Whatever it is, it is no less than Islamophobia. I may sound cliché, but I just thought I would share my side of the story.

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Insha’Allah keep me in your dua’s

Ma’asalaam =)

Leia Mais

Apr 7, 2008

Easy Good Deeds

Assalamualaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh,

Insha'Allah you are all enjoying the blessings of Allah (SWT).

As humans, we can never have enough good deeds. We are constantly in need of these in order to please Allah All-Mighty. Below is a list of a few easy ways we can attain our good deeds. Insha'Allah you will find it beneficial and may Allah (SWT) give us the strength to implement what we learn. Ameen.

1. Think of Allah before you take any action. Make dua before everything- sleeping, eating, studying, driving...

2. Read the Qur'an in Arabic and the meaning every day - take the time out of your busy schedule to listen to Allah.

3. Become a serious student of this Deen. Try to make it to the next Islamic class, halaqah or meeting. Shock your friends, bring a notebook ;).

4. Evaluate yourself daily before going bed. Thank Allah for good deeds, repent to Him for your mistakes and sins.

5. Avoid looking at unlawful pictures, whether they be from television, magazines, or otherwise.

6. Study the history of Islam. Learn of the great scholars and warriors who died with Allah on their lips and Islam in their hearts. Strive to emulate them.

7. Spend some time listening to recitation of the Quran.

8. Encourage your non-practicing friends to come to Islamic events.

9. Hang out with other Muslims.

10. Talk to your non-Muslim friends about Islam. Have you taken the time to explain the basics to them?

11. Go to at least one convention/conference/camp a year.

12. Perform the sunnah and nawafil salahs as much as possible. Find time to pray extras, such as Salat ad-Duha, Qiyamul-layl, and Tahajjud.

13. Subscribe to a Muslim magazine.

14. Buy Islamic gear.

15. Take the time to understand what's going on in the Muslim world today. Do your part to get involved and help relief organizations.

16. Try to fast Mondays and Thursdays as of today.

17. Lower your gaze.

18. Start reading Qur'an after Salat-ul Fajr.

19. Go to bed early so that you can wake up far Salat-ul Fajr.

20. Keep yourself in a state of wudu' most of the time.

21. Really listen to speakers. Take their advice to heart, commit yourself to change.

22. Give yourself time alone, so that you can think about your life, your deeds, make dhikr.

23. Start giving sadaqah daily, no matter how little. Make it a habit like eating and drinking.

24. Spend more time reading Islamic books, especially the Seerah, Hadith, and Fiqh.

25. Associate with knowledgeable people, hafidh, qari', and other ulama. You might learn something.

26. Try to learn how to make dawah to non-Muslims. It is an art requiring knowledge and diplomacy.

27. Watch as little television as possible. Seriously.

28. Go to the masjid.

29. Don't criticize if you dislike something- do your part to change it.

30. Stand up for right, forbid evil.

31. Avoid eating too much. Do not eat unless you are hungry and try not to fill your stomach.

32. If you like to listen to music, replace them with nasheeds, music with Islamic lyrics or with Quranic recitation.

33. Buy Islamic videos, tapes, posters, books, clothes, support your Muslims brothers and sisters and make Islam a part of every aspect of your life.

34. If you meet any new Muslims, buddy up with them and make them feel like a part of your community.

35. Break out of your clique.


BE BRAVE
PREPARE FOR STRUGGLE
PERSEVERE
HAVE CERTAINTY THAT ISLAM WILL BE VICTORIOUS

As always, I am reminding myself before I remind others.
Insha'Allah keep me in your dua's,

ma'asalaam =)

source: mutma'inaa

Leia Mais