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Volume 18 ● Issue 2 ● November 2011 ●Dhul Hijjah 1432
Journey of a Lifetime
Personal accounts of Hajj and Umrah
Discovering our Purpose
Defining directions
Trusting in Allah (SWT)
The ultimate power of faith
The Submission Edition
Contents
3
The Submission Edition
8 7
Co
ve
r b
y Z
oe
ya
Sa
lee
m
& S
ofi
a B
eg
; in
sid
e a
rt b
y M
eh
ree
n R
ash
ee
d
5
6
7
8
9
10/11
12
13
14/15
Peaceful Protest
By Osama Eshera
Lifestyle
An Overnight Orphan
By Arif Kabir
Purpose: Your Driving Force
By Muneer Zuhurudeen
The Journey of a Lifetime (Hajj/Umrah)
By Zoeya Saleem
Feature
Home Sweet Home
By Br. Tarif Shraim
What Constitutes “Civil” Dialogue
By Sr. Sahar Khamis
Message from our Advisors
Upcoming Events Hadith of the Month
News What Can I Do?
By Committee Heads
Creative Writing Gardens of Eden
By Tara Mohammed
Maut-e-Azrael
By Farhan Shah
Spirituality All It Takes From Us Is a Little Bit of Trust
by Zeynep Karakas
The True Life of the Soul (Part 1)
By Mohammed Shaikh
Sacrifice – The Big Picture
By Anonymous
16
Staff
Assalamu’alaikum!
Just a few weeks
ago, millions of Mus-
lims participated in the
most spiritually uplift-
ing experience of their
lives – Hajj! This
month’s issue will
spotlight those lucky
few who were able to
make this journey of a lifetime.
The story of Ibrahim (A.S.) dem-
onstrates the power of trusting
in and sacrificing for the sake of
Allah, and this issue includes
many articles that resonate on
that very point! From striving to
end hate speech on campus to
determining our purpose and
what we can contribute to
the MSA, the Spiritual
Awakening Edition really
calls on bettering our-
selves as Muslims and
members of the MSA/
MWM.
On a final note, Al-Nur is
accepting articles for the
December issue! Please
email me at [email protected] if
you are interested to get involved!
Whether you are a writer, layout
designer, editor, or interested to
get involved in advertising/
outreach – we have a place for
you in our staff!
Bushrah Rahman
Editor-in-Chief:
Bushrah Rahman
MSA/MWM Liason:
Mai Salem
Editors:
Layout Designers:
Writers/Contributors:
Somaya Albadawi
Sofia Beg
4
A Special Thanks to:A Special Thanks to:A Special Thanks to:
Zoeya Saleem
Fatimah Waseem
Anonymous
Osama Eshera
Arif Kabir
Zeynep Karakas
Tara Mohammed
Mai Salem
Farhan Shah
Mohammed Shaikh
Muneer Zuhurudeen
& Our Advisors
President: Noha Eshera
Vice President: Tara Mohammed
Secretary: Mai Salem
Treasurer: Hafinah Dasti
Public Relations: Safia Latif
President: Muneer Zuhurudeen
Vice President: Osama Eshera
Secretary: Tara Mohammed
Treasurer: Saad Rehman
Masjid Affairs: Omari Sefu
Public Relations: Youssef Elnabawi
VP of Sisters’ Affairs: Sheima Gimie
Somaya Albadawi
Sofia Beg
Mefruz Haque
Mai Salem
News/Spirituality
5
Upcoming Events
Hadith of the Month
Allah's Apostle said, "Whoever pos-sesses the (following) three qualities
will have the sweetness of faith:
(1) The one to whom Allah and His Apostle becomes dearer than anything
else;
(2) Who loves a person and he loves him only for Allah's Sake;
(3) Who hates to revert to atheism (disbelief) as he hates to be thrown
into the Fire." (Bukhari)
Narrated by Anas
The Holy Qur’an—image taken by current MSA student
A weekend of sharing and learning about Judaism and Is-lam. Open to the entire campus community! Hosted by FRIEND (Jewish and Muslim Women's Alli-ance) and JAMM (Jewish and Muslim Men). Sponsored by Hillel, MSA, and the Interfaith Council.
6
Al-Nur Committee:
Al-Nur is YOUR literary and artistic out-
let. You (yes you!) have the opportunity
to work as a staff writer, layout designer
(cover designer, center spread designer,
or page layout/content designer), edi-
tor, photographer, comic artist, graffiti
artist, advertising/marketing coordina-
tor, and/or issue pickup person! Each
and every person has some skill set
that may be useful to the Al-Nur team,
so please don’t ever let that hold you
back from contributing to the commit-
tee. Our long-term goal is to make Al-
Nur a campus wide publication, but in
order to do that we need YOUR help –
whether that involves being a consistent
contributor or working on reaching out
to businesses and the campus at large!
*To get involved, please contact us at [email protected].
Dawah Committee:
Why Islam? I am pretty sure many of us
have seen a billboard of I-95 asking this
question. Today we are in a day and age
where Muslims are under a microscope.
Islam is labeled as violent, oppressive
and unjust. Obviously this is not true.
Islam is a beautiful way of life in which
we can attain peace by submitting to
Allah (SWT). Alhamdulilah, Allah (SWT)
has made us Muslim. He has also given
us a responsibility. That is, to let others
know about this beautiful way of life. At
the University of Maryland College Park,
we are in a campus with over 35,000
students many of whom are interested
in learning about this way of life. As our
responsibility, we must share this mes-
sage with others. Alhamdulilah, this is
our goal and objective in the Dawah
Committee - to teach and educate as
many as possible about Islam. We do
this through weekly dawah tables, large-
scale campus events, and interfaith
dialogues. Next semester we will be
hosting a one week event - Islam Aware-
ness Week.
*If you are interested in joining the Dawah Committee to help with these initiatives, please email me at
Sisters’ Sports & Social:
The MSA Sisters’ Sports and Social,
spearheaded this year by Anam Siddiqui
and Amnah Sultan, is looking forward to
a really fun year of social activities. So
far, we've had a picnic, a barbeque, and
a sleepover. We still have much more
intended for this semester and next,
including horseback riding, tea parties,
and plenty of reasons to dress up and
go out, dress down and play around,
hang out, learn, socialize, meet new
people, and - as always - EAT! Remem-
ber that we are always open to new
ideas and activities! See you at the next
S&S activity!
*Contact [email protected] to be added to
the S&S list serve.
Outreach:
Relieving others' burdens, offering a
helping hand to fallen comrades, work-
ing together to support each other in
our eternal struggle to improve our char-
acter, growing closer to Allah, living and
embodying Islam - that is the Outreach
Committee.
An example of the kind of initiatives you
can be involved with as a co-leader of
the Outreach Committee is the newly
launched "Steeping Room." The Steep-
ing Room represents the phenomenon
of the third place -- a safe, unassuming
environment where people can leave
their judgments at the door and enjoy
an open environment to foster growth
and collaboration between people of all
different kinds. It exists to attempt to
bring ALL Muslims on campus together
to have meaningful conversation and see
the reality that we are all one entity at-
tempting to navigate the human project.
*To join in this realization, and get involved in
the Steeping Room and/or any of the count-
less other projects the Outreach Committee
is currently pursuing insha Allah, please find
me, Ali, or email me at
Brothers’ Sports & Social:
Ever get tired of the same old routine
after Jummah Prayer every Friday? Have
no fear, Sports and Social is here! Twice
a month we will blow your collective
minds with the MOST EXHILARITING ac-
tivities ever to see this MSA. Now I don’t
want to ruin the surprise for you all, but
just think of this as the tip of the iceberg,
the appetizer to the feast, the trailer to
the movie….okay okay I can go on for
days, but just take this in stride and
come out and have a good time with all
your Muslim brothers on campus.
CAIL:
The Capital Area Islamic Library is up and
running again. We’ve made some new
renovations and there are a lot more
books that will be joining our collection in
the coming months. Everyone should
make it a goal to check out a couple of
books this year because it’s a real
shame if we let all these treasures rot
away. CAIL is the new chill spot so if you
don’t stop by it’s really your loss. Come
by during any of the library hours and
we’ll help you find anything you need. Hit
us up with recommendations for books
as well. We have a new articles section
that will blow your mind and some extra
surprises that you'll have to see for your-
self! May Allah grant us all knowledge
that benefits.
WHAT CAN I DO?
Trying to find a way to contribute to MSA ?
– look no further –
JOIN A COMMITTEE! NEWS
cretionary. So long as the ad is not illegal, they publish what they want and reject what they don’t want with no clear standards. When we pressed them on this idea they told us their decisions are made on a “case by case basis.” Which made it clear to us that they aren’t making these decision based on right or wrong; that the reason they would print an anti-Muslim ad but not an anti-[insert minority group here] ad is simply because they can get away with the former but not the latter. The outcry and heat The Dia-mondback would get from printing an other anti-[minority group] ad, albeit equally condemnable, would not be worth the $500 they would make from it. So where does that leave us? In simple terms: we need to show The Diamondback, through appropriate demonstration, that al-lowing FLAME to take a jab at Mus-lims is not worth $500 either. And just as we would not tolerate the degradation of any other group, we will not tolerate FLAME on our cam-pus. But our methods must them-selves be peaceful and composed; embodying the true spirit of Islam.
7
WRITTEN BY OSAMA ESHERA
Many of you, by now, have heard a good deal about the recent anti-Arab, anti-Muslim advertisement in The Diamond-back. On October 19, 2011, The Diamondback printed a paid text advertisement entitled "You de-serve a factual look at ... Muslim Arab Anti-Semitism" by an or-ganization called FLAME. The ad was essentially a diatribe ridden with factual inaccuracies and a clear underlying motive -- to in-flame public opinion about Mus-lims and Islam. Its marginalizing rhetoric is clearly inconsistent with our efforts to create a di-verse, yet harmonious, commu-nity on campus. Perhaps the most impor-tant point to make regarding this issue centers around the discus-sion of “freedom of speech.” Many, including Muslims, would argue that this organization has a right to voice its opinion and that we should just let it be. However; this passive approach misses the mark on what the issue is actu-ally about.
I think that free speech is a good thing and is a vital prereq-uisite to a fruitful academic envi-ronment on campus. However, our movement is not challenging
FLAME’s right to have an opinion or right to voice it. We are chal-lenging The Diamondback’s deci-sion to publish the advertisement on the grounds that this ad is not a positive contributor to an intel-lectual debate.
Here’s why: we define an intellectual debate to be one that encourages people to challenge thoughts and ideas. What this ad does is quite different. The FLAME ad objects to Muslims as a people -- not Islam as an idea.
“Its one thing to blast an idea, albeit controversial, and a completely different thing to blast individuals or a community.”
For example, if I think the economy sucks right now; I can and should criticize Obama’s economic policy. But I should not criticize and bash Obama as an individual. Such an approach is not conducive to an academic environment, creates hostility on campus and jeopardizes the well being of all students and faculty.
Last week, we met with the president of Maryland Media Inc -- the company that owns The Diamondback -- along with their advertising manager and editor in chief. From this meeting we learned that the Diamondback’s advertising policy is entirely dis-
NEWS
PEACEFUL
PROTEST
Lifestyle
―Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain
speaking. The plane will be landing shortly, please
fasten your seatbelts,‖ the pilot announced.
After buckling his seatbelt, Ahmad resumed gazing
out the airplane window into the gray and dreary
sky. His thoughts returned to that fateful day…
His sister had finally graduated from col-
lege and the family was going to celebrate at a local
restaurant. He stayed home to study for his final
exam the next day. Tears welled up in his eyes as he remembered picking up
the phone in the study. ―Hello, is this Ahmed? Yes, this is the police calling. We’re very
sorry to inform you, but your family was involved in a fatal accident. None of them survived…‖
That one phone call changed his life. Instead of studying for his finals, he began dwelling on the final moments
with his beloved family. The next few days passed in a blur; the bodies were washed and shrouded; the Janazah
took place; people from all over flew in for the service. His relatives from Europe came and arranged for him to
come live with them. The plane ticket was bought, the few necessary parcels of his clothing were quickly stuffed
into a suitcase, and he found himself boarding a plane, leaving everything that was familiar.
“What did I do to deserve this calamity!” is what he wanted to scream to the world. Instead, he mourned in si-
lence, not trusting the world to understand. Once the plane descended upon the runway, Ahmad made his way
towards the exit. He barely registered the farewells being offered him by the flight attendants, and was rather re-
lieved when he finally found himself alone in front of the airport. He leaned against the railing, watching the cars
zoom by as he waited for his ride.
He remembered receiving brochures from charity organizations asking for donations for orphans all over
the world. He remembered reading that UNICEF had reported about the thousands of orphans in the Unites States
and millions worldwide, with numbers only increasing in war-torn and disaster stricken countries. He now regret-
ted tossing these appeals in the trash without a care, never once thinking he may join the ranks of these millions
of orphans one day.
With a plane flying above him, cars passing by in front of him, and an international high-tech airport be-
hind him, he realized there was great wealth in these countries. He saw the Muslim communities all around him
were growing to new unprecedented heights, but there were still not enough orphanages dedicated to caring for
orphans and providing them with an Islamic upbringing. Alhamdulillah, he was blessed with caring relatives, but
not everybody had the same opportunity. It was hard for him to grasp that he had no parents, but he now realized
this is the reality millions have already been facing.
He recalled a hadith his Imam was fond of: “The one who sponsors an orphan, whether he is related to
him or not, he and I will be like these two in Paradise,” and Malik gestured with his index and middle fingers.
(Muslim, 2983).
SubhanAllah, not only would a believer get closer to attaining righteousness by giving wealth to orphans, but
would also be reserved a close place beside the Prophet!
A beep brought him out of his reverie. He glanced up to his young cousins excitedly waving at him with giant
smiles on their faces. He smiled back, picked up his luggage, and took a step forward.
May Allah (SWT) help all of the Muslim orphans across the world, and may He make us the recipients of His Pleas-
ure by sponsoring His slaves in need. Ameen.
WRITTEN BY ARIF KABIR
8
AN OVERNIGHT ORPHAN
9
Have you ever asked yourself why you’re a part of the MSA? This may seem strange, but it was only very recently that I asked myself that question.
MSA, for the longest time, always felt like something that I should be doing by de-fault. I had my “spiritual awakening” (for lack of a better term) halfway through high school, so being more concerned with practicing Islam, I naturally gravitated toward the only group of Muslims that was around me, the MSA. At the same time, my sister was finding Muslim companionship at a far larger and more established organization, the MSA at UMCP. I had traveled along the path she paved for herself for the majority of my life; the same schools and many of the same extracurricular activities. Thus, when college came around, it was no different, and I followed her down that path for about two years.
But during this time, I was not acting with true urgency. I had continued down an existing path be-cause it was safer than creating my own. Thus, my ac-tions had become someone else’s because of my fail-ure to understand their benefit. That is, until I began to comprehend the concept of “purpose”.
It’s becoming increasingly evident to me that as we advance in life there is nothing more important than purpose. Purpose is our driving force; our reason for taking up a task and our motivation to complete it, in spite of the struggles we may face along the way. A common purpose in the minds of the earlier genera-tions of Muslims built civilizations that served as a light when the rest of the world was in the Dark Ages, with new advancements in science, mathematics, and litera-ture occurring every day. Purpose in the minds of our early Muslim leaders like Umar Ibn Abdulaziz (May Al-lah be pleased with him) created societies so just, that even the King of the Romans cried upon the hearing of his death, saying that “a righteous and just king has died today”. They knew their purpose in life: to serve their Creator through obedience to Him. This conse-quently served everyone around them.
So with a campus of 40,000 of some of the most open minded people you will ever meet, what is your purpose? With a community suffering from poverty and crime, what is your purpose? With a society plagued with corruption, ignorance and apathy, what will you do to better the situation of those around you?
Looking back on my first two years of MSA involvement, I can only feel regret. I see someone who was along for the ride but not willing to take control of the wheel. The amount you can do for those around you is not limited or defined by a position or title, but only by Allah’s command, passion and purpose. Imagine the good we can create for ourselves and those around us if we only remember this.
There are a million reasons to join any organization, but I’ll ask you again, why are you a part of the MSA?
May Allah shower His Mercy upon us, accept and magnify our efforts in this life and allow us to see mountains of good deeds when we are resurrected before Him.
PURPOSE: YOUR DRIVING FORCE
WRITTEN BY MUNEER ZUHURUDEEN
10
Feature
the Journey of a Lifetime
Salimatu Jalloh
Hajj or Umrah?
Umrah,2011
What was your initiative to go?
My father takes people to Hajj and Umrah every year, so in
2011 it was my turn to go.
Multiple visits?
Went for Umrah twice, Allahamdillah
What was your biggest challenge
My intentions, and making du'a for others.
Do you plan on going again? Oui Oui
What kind of expectations did you have before leaving?
I expected to be more mature, and I was a little nervous, slightly pressured. Afterwards I felt a little
refreshed. I had new goals, and I made personal changes (started to wear hijab).
What was the most rewarding feeling?
Getting through Umrah, one ummah (saying Salam to everyone no matter what they looked like), see-
ing the Ka’bah for the first time
Did you get the chance to visit Medina? How was it?
Medina was beautiful, peaceful, and very cool (temperature wise),
and the masjid was very beautiful, etched in gold. Everyone was very
friendly and happy, and all there for one reason; it was moving
Any tips for people who haven't gone? any insights?
Make sure you know that you are going there for — something really
important, and don't take it too lightly. Enjoy yourself in one of the
most spiritual places on earth, for there is no place like it.
Nimat Baig
Hajj or Umrah?
I went to Hajj last year, with my mother, brother, and cousin in 2010
What was your initiative to go?
Honestly, I didn't have any intention to go to Hajj at the time, but when the opportunity presented itself I was more than will-
ing to go
Do you plan on going again?
Since the flight back, I've been planning my next trip, so yes.
What kind of expectations did you have before leaving?
I expected to come back different. They say you know your
Hajj has been accepted if you come back changed. After-
wards I felt reborn, like I had been given a second chance.
I'm forever grateful for my second chance
What was the most rewarding feeling?
Praying, since the reward was greatly multiplied.
What was your biggest challenge if any?
My biggest challenge was leaving. Being surrounded by Muslims was comforting and I didn't want to leave. Other than that, it
would be the people pushing and shoving you in the crowds. I had to remember to stay patient and protect my mother.
Any tips for people who haven’t gone? Any insights?
Tests come in ways you don't expect. Just remember to stay patient
and go with an open heart and mind. Understand that Muslims all
around the world don't have the same knowledge as you do and that
they may do things you may not understand, but not to judge them. I
pray Allah (SWT) blesses each and every single one of the Muslim um-
mah to make Hajj and that he accept it from us Insha'Allah.
WRITTEN BY ZOEYA SALEEM
11
Did you get the chance to visit Medina? How was it?
Medina was beautiful, peaceful, and very cool (temperature wise),
and the masjid was very beautiful, etched in gold. Everyone was very
friendly and happy, and all there for one reason; it was moving
Any tips for people who haven't gone? any insights?
Make sure you know that you are going there for — something really
important, and don't take it too lightly. Enjoy yourself in one of the
most spiritual places on earth, for there is no place like it.
Any tips for people who haven’t gone? Any insights?
Tests come in ways you don't expect. Just remember to stay patient
and go with an open heart and mind. Understand that Muslims all
around the world don't have the same knowledge as you do and that
they may do things you may not understand, but not to judge them. I
pray Allah (SWT) blesses each and every single one of the Muslim um-
mah to make Hajj and that he accept it from us Insha'Allah.
Sheima Gimie
Hajj or Umrah?
Umrah in the summer of 2007 and 2009
What was your initiative to go?
For the experience and reward.
Who did you travel with?
My family
What was your biggest challenge
Surviving the heat
What kind of expectations did you have before leaving?
I wasn't sure what to expect. I was young so Umrah was just another Islamic term to me.
What was the most rewarding feeling?
Seeing the Ka’bah for the first time is the most breathtaking experience. It's like you're in a dream.
Did you get the chance to visit Medina? How was it?
Medina, yes. It was lovely. I wish I stayed longer in Me-
dina.
Any tips for people who haven't gone? any insights?
Everyone should really try to go to Umrah at least once.
It's really a great experience and can be life changing.
Definitely worth it!
Do you plan on going again?
OF COURSE I wish I was there now!
Meher Kachwala
Hajj or Umrah?
I went to Umrah when I was around 10 years old in 2001
What was your initiative to go?
To praise and glorify Allah (SWT), and a secondary goal was to engage in self-improvement through
this journey.
Do you plan on going again?
Insha'Allah, I would be the luckiest person to be able to go again, and also to Hajj this time. It would
absolutely be a dream come true to be able to go again in the future.
What kind of expectations did you have before leaving?
Ever since returning, I have felt even closer to my religion and have developed a greater sense of Is-
lam and what it means to be a Muslim. I feel motivation to do better deeds and to give back for the
sake of Allah (SWT). I have a yearning to constantly become a better person for His sake. It was the
most rewarding experience in many senses.
Did you get the chance to visit Medina? How was it?
Medina is undoubtedly the most beautiful place I have ever seen. The amount of
devotion found in one place was incredible and I'll never forget the amazing sight
of seeing so many people in the same place, gathered in the name of Allah (SWT).
Any tips for people who haven’t gone? any insights?
Don't be hesitant to go on Umrah while you are young, you are never too young to
develop and express your devotion for Allah (SWT).
Feature
12
WHAT CONSTITUTES ‘CIVIL DIALOGUE’?
13
Into meadows of eternity.
Spirituality
We can all admit that a lot of things in life require sacrifice: school, friends, family.
Sometimes it may seem as if sacrifice is all that you’re living for. At times, kindness
maybe difficult to show. Generosity may even seem plain suicidal. But, alhamduli-
lah, at the end of the day, Allah (SWT) has offered us a way out, a way of retaining
our sanity: Himself. All it takes from us is a little bit of trust.
Allah says, ―And he provides him from (sources) he never could imagine.
And if any one puts his trust in Allah, sufficient is (Allah) for him. For Allah will surely
accomplish his purpose: verily for all things has Allah appointed his due proportion
(65:3).‖
A year ago, Allah seemed to be speaking directly to me in that ayah.
Like many other first-generation American Muslims, I believed that all I ever
wanted to be in life was a doctor. Naturally, the first step towards making that hap-
pen was to volunteer at a hospital. And I did. For a month. Then, I slowly stopped
showing up to my early morning Sunday shifts altogether as I realized medicine was-
n’t a career for me. I quietly made the excuse that college applications were taking
over my life. Unfortunately, I chose not to make the sacrifice of sticking to my
―promised‖ one-hundred hours. So I broke my volunteer commitment without a
word and forgot about volunteering for a while.
As soon as I got settled as a freshman, I remembered my old commitment
as a volunteer, and I knew the best thing to do was to finish the contracted term.
This time, I decided I wasn’t going to do it for myself; I had already decided against
medicine. At that time, I could really relate to Prophet Musa.
After Prophet Musa realized his mistake of killing one of Pharaoh's soldiers,
he quickly repented saying, ―...Surely I have done harm to myself, so, You should
protect me (18:18).‖ As soon as he put his trust in Allah, he was eventually warned
of Pharaoh’s intentions and quickly escaped. He traveled until he found a well, a
group of men watering their flock and two women waiting behind them. Amazingly,
instead of choosing to sit back after a long and frantic journey, he helps these
women for the sake of Allah. Sure enough, he lands a job with Prophet Shuayb. And
decides to stick to the agreed length of service.
So, like Prophet Musa I decided to amend my mistake of leaving the hospi-
tal and finish my volunteer commitment for the sake of Allah. I reapplied, got a call,
and was asked to interview. Me: ―Again? Okay.‖ And here I am, a year later, with a
paid job alhamdulilah that I ―...never could [have] imagine[d]...(65:3).‖ Subhanallah.
WRITTEN BY ZEYNEP KARAKAS
ALL IT TAKES FROM US IS A LITTLE BIT OF TRUST
14
15
Someone might think of the topic of love lightly
- thinking it is not a primary concern - while it is one of
the most important human needs. We humans are
made of two things: dust (body) and soul. The body
wants food, drink, clothing, and rest. However, the soul
wants mainly two things - to love and to feel loved. Our
souls are what make us humans and not machines.
This soul has a lot of secrets that we can search for
and learn about. Allah says in the Quran, ―… and they
ask you –Oh Muhammad- concerning the spirit; Say:
the spirit: it is one of the things, the knowledge of
which is only with my Lord. And of knowledge, you have
(mankind) have been given only a little (Surah17,
verse 85).‖
The real relationships between people are built
consciously or unconsciously on love. This love might
be sincere (true) love, fake love, love that has a fragile
basis, etc. The Prophet (peace be upon him) once
stated, :" A person will be with the ones whom he
loves ." Examine your life and see whom you love the
most, and you will be with them in the next life. There are many reasons we love someone. It
might be because of what the other person has
(money, beauty, generosity, etc). If two people share
something they both love, it will be a reason for them
to love each other. Gratefulness is one of great rea-
sons of love, if not the greatest. Someone will care about pleasing and serving
what he loves the most. If someone cares just about
himself , he will try to please it and try to bring joy to
his self in every possible way. However, he will never
find satisfaction. As the Prophet (peace be upon him)
said, ―If the son of Adam has a valley of Gold then he
will wish to have another one.‖ Someone will never find
himself pleased with what he has if he strives to serve
only himself and run after the pleasures of this life.
Trying hard to always please and serve others is an-
other mistake. A famous Arabic saying teaches,
―Pleasing people is a goal that will never be reached.‖
What some people like is different from what others
do. People might ask us sometimes to do evil that will
bring harm to us. People are forgetful. They might for-
get what we did for them for years in just a few days. So, let us go back to our purpose in life, which is
pleasing and serving Allah, the most merciful. Allah will
not ask you for anything that has evil in it. As stated in
one Hadith Qudsi, Allah Himself will come closer to
those who do things for His sake. Allah will never forget
anything you did for his sake. He rewards the disbeliev-
ers for the good things they did in this life, so how can
He forget the believers?
Wait for more next month Inshallah. Every good I wrote is from Allah, and everything bad is
from myself and shaytaan.
THE TRUE LIFE OF THE SOUL (PART 1)
Celebration. Parties. Family and friends. These are
some of the first words that come to mind when we hear,
―Eid.‖ For the young, it’s a day off from school, as we grow
older it can become an excuse from an exam, or perhaps
the exam is an excuse from Eid (haha). For all, it is a time for
festivity. However, if we stop to think what Eid Al-Adha or the
―Festival of Sacrifice‖ comes from, we remember Prophet
Ibrahim (a.s.) and his son, and their story of sacrifice.
Sacrifice. What does this mean exactly? According
to dictionary.com it is, sacrifice—the surrender or destruction
of something prized or desirable for the sake of something
having a higher or more pressing claim. We all know the
tradition of this Eid is to distribute whatever meat the family
has sacrificed following in Prophet Ibrahim’s footsteps. How-
ever, how many of us stop to really think about what sacri-
fice means to us personally?
I came across a story in the newspaper the other
day that, for myself put the story of Ibrahim (a.s.) in a differ-
ent light. Two brothers were in the hospital and they
―embraced before going into surgery for a liver transplant.‖
Before the surgery, both were aware of the possible implica-
tions this could have for the healthy brother—but the pros-
pect of saving his dying brother’s life was more pressing at
the time. A few days later, their father came to Chad, the
brother receiving the transplant to tell him, ―I have some
bad news. Ryan’s gone but we still serve a good God.‖
His father’s simple statement, ―but we still serve a
good God,‖ stood out to me especially. He had just wit-
nessed his own child die, but was still steadfast in faith ac-
knowledging God’s mercy in saving the other brother. We
should look to this statement and reflect on it ourselves.
How many times have we after sacrificing held a
tinge of bitterness towards having to give up something that
was dear to us? A brother sacrificed his very life to save his
ailing brother, knowing the risks involved. A father sacrificed
one son for another, still holding onto God. Prophet Ibrahim
(a.s.) and Ismail (a.s.)’s Iman was so strong, both were ready
to do the unimaginable, solely to please Allah.
We should take these lessons from others to reflect
on what it really means to sacrifice in the name of Allah.
Although it doesn’t have to be a liver or your child, lets ex-
trapolate this lesson a bit. Even something as small as giv-
ing up a small amount of time it takes to pray our prayers on
time, rather than waiting until the TV show is finished, sacri-
ficing a few minutes of sleep to pray Fajr, not sharing that oh
-so-juicy piece of gossip; all count towards pleasing Allah
(swt). Let’s take this Eid, in-between the festivities, to grow
as Muslims and strive to be the best we can be.
"It is not their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah; it is
your piety that reaches Him." (Qur'an 22:37) WRITTEN BY MOHAMMED SHAIKH WRITTEN BY ANONYMOUS
SACRIFICE—THE BIG PICTURE
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The Submission Edition
Volume 19 ● Issue 2 ● November 2011 ●Dhul Hijjah 1432
