Dust is My Bed

A good reminder:

Randomlings..

Feel like sharing some images I took with my brand new camera today, and no it’s not what I said it’d be [i.e. a Nikon D40], I got this instead. I’m still testing its features and so far so good though it’s just too pretty for a camera me thinks and did I mention that it feels as light as a feather?

I am not a pro but I like taking pictures.  Happy viewing!

Why I love being a Muslim?

SubhanAllah I can just go on and on about what it feels like to be a Muslim.  All hardships and gloom surrounding Muslims today is temporary, innshaAllah, a Muslim life is better than any and everything alhamdulillah. To summarize my thoughts and feelings:

> I have a purpose in life

- I work hard to please my Rabb because without Him am nothing;
- There’s nothing more demeaning in life than leading a wayward life;
- Serving Him gives me a sense of fulfilment;
- Everything He has said makes Perfect sense;
- Simply put, everything that He Created makes sense.

> There is none like unto Him

- Allah, He is One and Absolute, the Almighty and Majestic – there has never been anything like Him nor ever will be, He is Self-Sufficient and Most Merciful;
- What He Creates, none can copy Him nor can anyone produce work of His Magnificence;
- He is the Unseen – and therein lies His Beauty, I don’t need to draw or sculpt my Rabb to know He exists – surely, the signs all around me and all that breathe and exist on earth are clear indications of His Existence;
- He Listens to me, and answers my prayers. He also saves my prayers for sa’at al mushkila [difficult times], when am more likely to show my ingratitude and impatience;
- He is The Most Forgiving – He forgives even the most disobedient of all His slaves on their repenting;
- Allah Loves me and wants best for me hence why am often tested and tried by that which I love the most; He wants me to bear every hardship patiently and He has promised – after every hardship will come ease;
- He is aware of that which we are not. And verily Allah is Best of the Planners.

> The universe works in perfect co-ordination

- Everything within and surrounding the universe works systematically, as if someone already ordained it to be and subhanAllah who but Allah did;
- Human body has been designed in the most complex of forms and yet each of the human organs work in perfect co-ordination with one another;
- Out of billions, there isn’t even a single human being whose single finger print matches his another! There are other mind boggling and amazing examples but if only a man chooses to reflect.

> As a woman, Islam elevated my status

- There is no distinction in Allah’s Sight save for the level of Taqwa; there is no difference between me and him – what is required of him in Islam is required of me;
- Islam was the first religion and the Muslim society the first social constitution which granted and acknowledged women’s rights, quite exclusive for those times and relatively so even in today’s world;
- Besides many rights that I’ve been granted – I can marry of own liking, own a business/ property, vote and excercise a greater right over my children;
- As a mother, Jannah has been placed under a my feet;
- The best amongst muslim men is he who is best to his wife; 
- Allah safegaurded a daughter’s life when He The Kareem prohibited female infanticide in the Noble Qur’an;
- Of sisters and daughters in Islam, Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wasallam said, “He whosoever has three daughters, or three sisters, or two daughters or two sisters, and is very kind to them, demonstrating nice company to them and fears Allah in their treatment, will enter Paradise.”
 
> It is about us, we and all and not I, me and myself

- Islam is free from any gender, race, social status and nationality bias and no one has superiority over another save for taqwa;
- We bow to Allah alone and my brothers and sisters in Islam are like my own – if they’re hurt, I feel their pain;
- Islam has made me more aware and responsible of others’ rights – be it my family, friends, neighbors or strangers;
- I ought not desert them in their times of need;
- We ought to think and act collectively.

> Ramadan and salaah

- If only every month was Ramadan…such a blessing from Rabb, especially the last ten days of Ramadan subhanAllah!
- I cleanse myself – outwardly and inwardly – 5 times a day at least; we also have the nafal prayers: Tahajjud, awabin, salatul istikhara, tauba, hajah…
- How can we not benefit from the above? Only if we choose not to and Allah indeed has provided for us blessings in abundance.

> Prophet Muhammad sallal lahu alaihi wasallam

- After Allah, comes he… “obey Allah and the messenger..” [5:92]
- But he was a man and subhanAllah the perfect man, sallal lahu alaihi wasallam. His conduct examplary; he never cheated nor lied. He was the most kind, even to his enemies and the most honest of men, hence why he was called Amin – Trustworthy – even by bitterest of his foes. And we should strive to follow his example;
- If Prophet was the moon, his companions were the stars. Each of them went through trials and tribulations and subhanAllah each of them earned Allah’s Pleasure for practicing sabr and showing istiqamah.

“..This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islâm as your religion..”  [al-Qur'an, 5:3]

Something New…

As-salamu ‘alaikum dear reader,

It’s been a year and a half since I last posted [and I didn't post much], and man..time does fly by! I was searching for a DSLR camera and online Islamic courses when I remembered about my much-neglected blog. And then I thought, ‘I waste so much of my time as it is so why not take it a notch up and waste others too?!’

*smiles*

So here I am, wishing you all a blessed Islamic new year- may this year be filled with everything halaal and goodness for you and your near and dear ones, may Allah save us from the fitnah that takes up every shape and form, and guide us when we go astray, aameen.

Waleikumusalam.

P.s.- yes, I did find the camera I was looking for and also the free Islamic courses online.

Best Way to Increase Eman?

Question: What is the best way for a person increase his or her eman?

Answerer: Shaykh Yasir Qadhi

The single greatest way to increase your eman is to gain knowledge.

Study what eman is, study tawhid, the pillars of eman, etc. It automatically increases your eman.

Good deeds also increase eman–each and every single good deed and act of worship you perform increases your eman. Fast a day. Read Qur’an. Pray Tahajjud.

And don’t forget to make du’a, for the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) made du’a that Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) make his heart firm in Islam (i.e. increase his eman). It is narrated that he said: “o Controller of the Hearts, make my heart firm in Your faith.” [Ahmad]¹

Also study the biographies and lives of the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم), companions and of famous scholars. When you see all the things they did and the great trials they went through, it increases your eman.

And finally, beware of sin, for each and every sin and act you commit against Islam decreases your eman. Wasting time also decreases eman.

People of eman don’t enjoy life quite the same way as other people–they’re always busy doing something.

Contemplate the creation and it’s perfection.

May Allah increase us all in our eman, and make firm our hearts on Islam. Ameen!

Pages from the past: The Face

From August 2006:

I couldn’t take my eyes off his face..

This image reminded me of a poem I wrote long ago: 

 

 

Many souls, least bothered-
Lives lost, all bare;
Much chaos, no comfort-
A hell, no care…

Some may dismiss this image as nothing more than an advertising gimmick, and for some this image may well present the face of today. Looking at the image I wondered, what if the child - the innocent victim caught in a bloody ‘situation’ - is as real as you and me…? And what if it was my child..?

And that’s when I gasped and that’s when I (just) couldn’t take my eyes off this boy’s face…

 

The Love of Your Life

One of the best things about Islam is that it’s a deen–a total, comprehensive, complete, and perfect way of life, and it governs every aspect of life from large-scale social phenomena (such as marriage) to the way you eat and sleep.

For people who are dating, subhanallah, they say they’re looking for that “special someone” or “the right person.” But they continue dating for 6 months, a year, two years, five years, TEN years, they have kids–they’re still just dating–and they STILL don’t know! And when someone “better” comes along, they jump ship!

 

But subhanallah, in our deen we have salaatul istikhaara, a prayer for indecision. Anytime you’re not sure about something, just hit up the nearest sink for wudoo’, pray two rakaahs (or omit this part, if you’re pressed for time) and ask Allah for guidance, with the du’a the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) taught us:

 

 

 

Transliteration: Allahumma in kunta ta lamu anna (hathal-amra*) khayul-lee fi deenee wama ashi wa ajila amri wa’ajilah, faqdurhu lee, wayassirhu lee, thumma-barik lee fih. Wa’in kunta ta lamu anna (hathal-amra*) sharrul-lee fi deenee. Wama ashi. Wa ajila amri. Wa’ajilahu. Fasrifhu annee. Wasrifnee anh. Waqdur leyal-khayr haythu kan. Thumma ardini bih.

 

Translation: Oh Allah! I seek Your guidance by virtue of Your knowledge, and I seek ability by virtue of Your power, and I ask You of Your great bounty. You have power; I have none. And You know; I know not. You are the Knower of hidden things. Oh Allah! If in Your knowledge, this matter is good for my religion, my livelihood and my affairs, immediate and in the future, then ordain it for me, make it easy for me, and bless it for me. And if in Your knowledge, this matter is bad for my religion, my livelihood and my affairs, immediate and in the future, then turn it away from me, and turn me away from it. And ordain for me the good wherever it may be, and make me content with it. (And then mention the matter)

 

What could be better then this? Within five minutes, you have the ultimate answer in your hands! If this person is the best for you in this life and the best for you in the akhira–in other words, the perfect person for you, and you for them–then Allah makes it easy! And if not, then Allah makes that easy too! No worries, no stress, no long-term investment required without a full after-life guarantee!

 

After all, everybody wants what’s best for them. So why not ask the All-Knowing, the All-Hearing, before you make the life-long (and after-life-long) plunge? And after that, he or she is your destiny, so accept it gracefully, and be thankful to Allah for this tremendous blessing. You have achieved what millions of people–with their clubs, their bars, their blind dates, their proms, and their parties–could only dream of: a long-lasting, permanent relationship that is THE best for both of you, in both this life AND the eternal hereafter.

 

May Allah purify our intentions and help us to achieve this great success (ameen)! (If you ARE thinking about getting married, or are already married, read these ten tips for IMMEDIATE benefit inshaAllah to your marriage.)

 

 

Islamic A-Z

As-salamu ‘aleikum,

Looking for a quick way of teaching your kids Islamic alphabets? Then look no further than the nasheed by Yusuf Islam, called A is for Allah.

 This is one of the surest ways of getting your kids’ attention, interesting and informing them about their religion.

The Definition of The Qur’an

 So what exactly is the Qur’an?

 

Scholars define the Qur’an as this: The Arabic speech of Allah that was revealed to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) both in word and in meaning. It is collected between the two covers of the mushaaf, was narrated in mutawaatir chains, and is a challenge to humankind.

We can learn five important things about the Qur’an from this definition.

 

1.  The Arabic speech of Allah: The Qur’an is the speech of Allah, in Arabic. This means that anything that’s not Arabic isn’t the Qur’an. You can’t pray in English, in French, in Swahili, in Urdu–it has to be in Arabic.

2.  Revealed to the Prophet: We know that Allah revealed many revelations–including the Injeel and the Tawrah and the Zabur. Those are also revelation of Allah–but they’re not the Qur’an. Only what Allah revealed to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) is Qur’an.

3.  Revealed in Word and Meaning: Not Only is the meaning of the Qur’an the same as what Allah meant; but the words themselves are also from Allah. (Unlike Hadith Qudsi, where the meaning is from Allah, and the words are from the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم))

4.  Collected between Two Covers: Hadith Qudsi is also the speech of Allah, but it’s not Qur’an. Similarly, there are verses that used to be in the Qur’an, but aren’t anymore–even though they were once! These are the abrogated verses, and they’re not considered Qur’an anymore, even though we still know what some of those revelations were.

5.  Mutawaatir: The Qur’an was related in a mutawaatir fashion–so many narrators narrated it, at every single step in the chain of narration, that it’s impossible that they all lied or made a mistake.

6.  A Challenge to Humankind: The Qur’an is an ongoing challenge to the human race–create a book, a surah, a verse like it; but nay, we will NEVER be able to. Allah Himself says so.

One other important part of the definition of the Qur’an is that Allah promised that He will protect it, until the end of time–and that promise doesn’t apply to anything else (such as the sunnah, or the Hadith Qudsi).

And you thought you knew the Qur’an!

 

May Allah allow us all to become saahibul-Qur’an, Companions of the Qur’an, those whom Allah will give the highest level of jannah (ameen)!

 

What is Deen?

 What is the meaning of the word deen and the word Islam?

 

 To answer this question, it is a must that we refer to the Arabic language dictionaries which still keep the meaning of how the Arabs used to understand the word deen and the word Islam when Qur’an was being revealed. In that period of time, there was no problem with understanding these two words by the Arabs from whom the companions of the prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) came. That generation that transformed the understanding for these two words into reality in their individual and collective lives. As a result, this understanding led them to the guidance, the guidance of Islam. This change was the greatest change in the long history of mankind.

  

The concept of deen: The word deen is used in the Arabic language to give different meanings, most importantly are:

1.      Subjugation, Authority, Ruling and Having Charge

A. He subjugated people to obey. Subjugated here is a literal translation of the verb of the word deen.

B. He has authority over him. Has authority here is a literal translation of the verb of the word deen. In this context, the saying of the prophet (S.A.W.) reveals this meaning, “The intelligent person is the one who has authority over himself and works for the Hereafter” This means that the intelligent person is the one who has subjugated himself and made himself obedient to Allah. In this context, also, the past participle would be subjugated, ruled and submitted. For example, Allah (S.W.T.) says in surat Al-Waqe’ah, (Verse 86 & 87), what can be translated as, “If you are not subjugated, then return it if you are truthful”. This means, if you are not forced by the will of Allah in the issues of death and life, then return the soul to the body after it has left it due to death.

2.      Obedience and Submission due to Subjugation:

3.      The Method and the Habit:

4.      Punishment, Reward and Judgment: The Arabs had a saying, which implies the following: you are treated the same way you treat others.

  

These four linguistic meanings constitute the concept of the word deen in the Qur’an where it implies a comprehensive system of life that is composed of four parts:

1.      The rulership and the authority belong to Allah (S.W.T.).

2.      The obedience and submission to this rulership and authority by those who embraced this deen.

3.      The comprehensive system (intellectual and practical) established by this authority (Allah).

4.      The reward given by this authority (Allah) to those that followed the system and submitted to it and the punishment inflicted upon those who rebel against it and disobey it.

  

Based on this definition of deen, we can summarize that deen is a submission, following and worship by man for the creator, the ruler, the subjugator in a comprehensive system of life with all its belief, intellectual, moral and practical aspects.

After understanding this definition of the Arabic word deen, we realize that it is wrong to translate it to the English with the word “religion”. Furthermore we do not need anyone to come up with a definition for the word deen for us- like many of the enemies of Islam do today- But, we should take precaution and warn Muslims against these conspiracies that are plotted against Muslims to keep them away from the reality of their deen and distort the concept of deen or restrict it to one aspect of life-like they (None Muslim) did with there religion and church after the French Revolution.

 

It is obligatory for us to clarify to the people the reality of deen in the Islamic perspective, also obligatory for us to implant this reality in our youth’s mind so that they will not confuse the concept of deen with all these wrongful and distorting definitions.

  

This is about the definition of the word deen, what about the meaning of the word Islam?

 

Islam in the Arabic language and in Qur’an means total submission and obedience. Allah (S.W.T.) says in surat Al-Imran, (Verse 83), what can be translated as, “Do they seek a deen other than the deen of Allah and to Him all what is in the skies and in the earth have submitted willingly or forcefully and to Him they shall return”

This word Islam had been used in the Qur’an as a symbol for the deen that was revealed to Muhammad (S.A.W.) and Allah clarified that He will not accept from man other deen even if it was from the previous divine deens. Allah (S.W.T.) says in surat Al-Imran, (Verse 85), what can be translated as, “He who chooses other than Islam a deen, it will not be accepted from him and he, in the Hereafter, is among the losers.” This meaning is emphasized by the saying of the prophet (S.A.W.) when he said, “By whom my soul is in His hand, if one, Jew or Christian, heard of me, then died and he/she did not believe in that which I was sent with, then they are from the dwellers of Hell fire.” (Reported by Imam Muslim)

 

Islam is a divine system, with it Allah (S.W.T.) sealed all other deens, and made it a comprehensive system that deals with all aspects of human life (Belief, intellectual, moral and practical) and this system is based on total submission to Allah (S.W.T.) alone and no one else and purifying worship to Him, and adopting all that is authentic from the prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.).