Issue 1

AL-HADIYAHA HAADI PRESS RELEASEVolume 1, Issue 1

Inheritance From The Prophet 10Knowledge of Allah’s Deen is the Best Inheritance

HOME SWEET HOME 26To Return Home....To Attain Paradise

Let Us Return To The Quran 12 Let The Quran Speak To You, Not the Other Way Around

INDEED, WE HAVE MADE THAT WHICH IS ON

THE EARTH ADORNMENT FOR IT THAT WE

MAY TEST THEM [AS TO] WHICH OF THEM IS

BEST IN DEED.

(SURAH AL-KAHF: 7)

About Al-Maghrib Institute 5

Divine Link– Fiqh Of Salah 6

La Ilaha Illa Allah 8

Inheritance From The Prophet 10

Let Us Return To The Quran 12

Contents

ASK HEBA 15A Taste Of Uloom-ul-Quran– Route 114 19

Ever Wondered About Their Love 20

ARE YOU A “MUSLIM” OR AN “AMERICAN MUSLIM”? 22

What Is Your Ride To Jannah 25

HOME SWEET HOME 26

Salawat Upon Our Beloved Prophet 28

SAHL BIN SA’D

REPORTED: THE

PROPHET (PBUH)

SAID TO ‘ALI,

“BY ALLAH, IF A

SINGLE PERSON IS

GUIDED BY ALLAH

THROUGH YOU, IT

WILL BE BETTER

FOR YOU THAN A

WHOLE LOT OF RED

CAMELS.”

(SAHIH MUSLIM)

AL-HADIYAH A HAADI PRESS RELEASE

4

From The EditorBismillahi Ar-Rahmani Ar-Raheem

Assalamualikum Wa Rahmathullahi Wa Barakathuhu Dear Brothers and Sisters in Islam,

All Praises belong to Allah Subhanahu wa tha’ala, The Lord of all that exists. I bear witness that there is no de-ity worthy of worship except Allah, And I bear witness that Muhammed bin Abdullah is His Final Messengerand His slave, may peace and blessings be upon him.

It gives me great pleasure to bring to you, on behalf of all “Haadi” brothers and sisters, this “Hadiyah” (Gift),which I hope that you will make it your own, benefit from and contribute to its growth. With this little gift, Ipray that it will be a source of light of ‘ilm (knowledge) and ‘ilm itself- ‘ilm that will be beneficial and willdraw each and every one of us closer to Our Lord, insha Allah. I make dua’ that Allah SWT blesses us withonly beneficial knowledge, aameen. May Allah Azza Wajal forgive us for our shortcomings. I request the read-ers to not attribute the contents to Al-Maghrib Institute, rather they maybe view points of the students– some-times coinciding and sometimes not. As students of knowledge, the methodology is to base your views or cometo conclusions according the Quran and the Sunnah of Prophet Sallallahu alaihiwasallam. And this is what westrive to achieve– to truly walk the path of those upon whom Allah is pleased with.

I hope to give you a taste of the Al-Maghrib seminars. That being said, I would like to encourage all membersof this community and communities all over U.S. to enroll in these degree seminars; I guarantee that you willfind them way beyond your expectations. We are so fortunate to have an institute as such, and very highly-qualified instructors to learn from, and we cannot afford to miss these opportunities of learning Allah’s Deen.“Verily, those who fear Allah, from among His servants, are the learned.” (Surah Al-Faatir: 28)

After Allah, I would like to thank all the brothers and sisters who contributed to this effort in various ways, be itthrough article contributions or even advices and suggestions. I would like to thank my better half specificallyfor making sure that I had everything I needed to work to make this effort successful. And our Ameer Br. Jun-aid, who would always reply promptly to all my emails; and helped me in every way possible. May Allah pre-serve him and his family, and increase them in goodness. Last but not the least; I have to mention my thanks toBr AbooZaid, who was there to provide me with intellectual mentorship with his experience and talents.

On a personal level, this humble effort made me realize that whatever you hope to achieve, you need to worktowards that goal– and our ultimate goal here, is to please Our Lord Azza Wajal. You may face obstacles andhardships along your path, but you need to survive through it, with two weapons: Tawakkul (complete reliance)upon Allah and Dua. And always believe that “Verily, with hardship, comes ease” and “Allah is The Best ofPlanners”.

Once again, I pray that you will benefit from this Hadiyah. Please contribute to the growth of this magazinethrough your suggestions and comments, and article contributions. I really look forward to hearing your feed-back. Email us at [email protected] to contact us and connect with us.

JazakumAllah khayran and Happy reading!!!

Fathimah Zainulabideen


5

To study overseas is indeed a veryenriching experience, but not everyone isblessed with such an opportunity. Our hec-tic schedules often sideline our in-depthstudy of Islam. It is for this reason that Al-Maghrib Institute was established, and hasdedicated itself to providing courses on Is-lam in a two weekend, intensive seminarformat. These trademark double-weekenduniversity-style seminars carry studentstoward a bachelor's degree in the IslamicStudies. The two-weekend Al-Maghrib In-stitute structure is our way of thinking out-side the box. Can Islam be taught in aneight-week summer program or in a two-hour halaqah on Sundays? Our communi-ties concede that this can be done. Thenwhy can't those same hours be put into atwo weekend intensive format, with highquality instruction and material for maxi-mum benefit? This is what Al-Maghrib In-stitute seeks to do. In the past, peoplewould come to Rasulullah – sal Allahualayhi wa sallam – spend a short time withhim and with the companions, then returnto their people, successfully bringing, notjust a few people, but their entire nationinto the fold of Islam. It was their sincerity,their strong minds, and their strong willsthat allowed for this change to take place,with the grace of Allah. These are the quali-ties that Al-Maghrib Institute seeks to res-urrect in its students – Sincerity, Strongminds, and Strong wills.

The Course Material: Experiencehas shown us that most Muslim studentsprefer a course taught from a variety of Is-lamic books and not just one source. Thus,most seminars will be based on a number ofclassical works instead of just one text. Forexample, in the first Tafseer seminar, theinformation will be gathered from At-

Tabaree, Ibn Katheer, Al-Qurtubee, as wellas others.

The following methods are used inour trademark AlMaghrib double-weekendseminars:

Instructors assign recommended read-ing and share tips on how to prepare aca-demically, mentally, and spiritually for theseminar, so that students can familiarizethemselves with the material and maximizethe benefit they acquire from the seminar.

The seminars will usually be comprisedof six days of instruction: with classes onFriday evening and all day Saturday andSunday for two consecutive weekends.

The two-weekend seminar will consistof 35-45 hours of class time.

The seminar will include interactivesessions and activities such as Jam sessionsand Gem boards, which encourage studentsto interact with the material they havelearned and introduce them to innovative,reflective ways of expressing their thoughtsand feelings about the seminar.

An onsite exam of the material will beadministered approximately one month af-ter the seminar, to ensure that students re-tain the information learned, and to evalu-ate the level of the students' comprehen-sion. For the seminar to count towards abachelor's degree in Islamic Studies, thestudent is required to take the exam andreceive a passing grade.

Power Point presentations and otherAudio/Visual methods are routinely usedduring the seminars. Each student registered for the seminar

receives a binder that outlines the materialand facilitates absorption of the informationtaught.


6

From Our Ameer’s DeskDear Readers,

Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmathullah

Divine Link: Fiqh of Salah welcomes back our beloved sheikh, YasirBirjis. Who has become one of our many moons who has illuminatedour hearts into stars. The sheikh has blessed our community through theyears teaching us the Fiqh of Love, The Code of Scholars: Usool Fiqh,Heavenly Hues: Thematic Tafsir, and most recently The Code Evolved:Evolution of Fiqh. Above the academic aspects of the varies sciencesthe sheikh has introduced to our community he carries on the traditionof his Sheikh, Sheikh Uthaymeen (Rahimahu Allah) with an isnad backto the Prophet (sallahu alayhi wa salaam) of not only teaching us thecorrect aqeedah but foremost letting us benefit and learn from his char-acter, and if the only reason to attend Fiqh of Salah was to study thecharacter of the sheikh it would be a loan full of barakah from AllahAzza Wajal insha’ Allah and Allah is the source of all strength.

You Don’t Want To Miss This!!

As the first day of class comes upon us (Oct. 23rd at the MCA banquet hall) I prepare myself to hastento the front row. We thank Allah who is Al-Haadi, the one who guides, for guiding us to the Haqq(Truth). Who sent down the Revelation of the Quran and Sunnah for all of mankind and Jinn as a Mercyand Reminder for those who believe in Allah, His Messengers, and the Last Day. Who establish Salahand give Zakah, who submit in the religion of Islam and are to be known as Muslims. We thank Allah

Al Hadiyah, our quarterly publication, is an initiative started with the intent to connect a gap within thecommunity - the need to provide an avenue to the student of Islamic knowledge in giving back to thecommunity. This magazine, is planned, written and managed by the students themselves with a focusrelevant to the local community and we pray that Allah SWT puts Barakah in this effort inshAllah.

We have most very often heard this Hadith quoted from Sahih Bukhari "Pray as you see me pray", thisalong with many narrations on the action and purpose of praying is viewed, interpreted and imple-mented in many different ways, ways so many that in a community as diverse as this where Muslimsfrom more than 50 Nationalities live and practice Islam, the varied actions of Salah need to be under-stood to foster a mutual respect of each other. In this regard, Qabeelat Haadi, the Bay area chapter ofAl-Maghrib institute has organized a double weekend seminar "Divine Link - Fiqh of Salah" taught bySheikh Yaser Birjas during the weekends of October 23 and October 30, come join us in learning aboutthe various rulings of the most basic form of worship - Salah.

Walaikumsalam

Farooqi J. Syed


7

that He is giving our community the opportunity tostudy the divine link we have with Him, As-Salah,both the physical and spiritual aspects.

On the last day of The Code Evolved I was prayingSalat-ul-Isha and after the first tashahud while stillsitting I raised my hands for the takbir. After salah abrother asked me why I did the raising of the handswhile still sitting and I said there is an opinion thatyou can raise the hands while sitting instead of afteryou stand. We decided to ask Sheikh Yasir Birjas onthe issue and where I thought there were two differ-ent ahadith making both opinions valid. Sheikh Bir-jas informed us there was only one hadith on the sub-ject and it was an issue of grammar and his humbleopinion was that Imam Shafi' was the strongest of the4 Imams in grammar and that Imam Shafi's opinionwas that you should do the raising of the hands and

takbir after you stand for the 3rd rakah. We got intofurther discussion on weak hadith and I mentionedthe hadith collection Bulugh al-Maram, Attainmentof the Objective. According to the Evidences of theOrdinances, contained many weak hadith that I no-ticed brothers would follow, for example wiping overthe bottom and top of the sock when doing wudu asstated in hadeeth #54 of Bulugh al-Maram and classi-fied as Da'if. Sheikh Birjas said to the effect what Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani (d. 852 H.) who com-piled the book of hadith Bulugh al-Maram did wascompile all the hadith on a specific topic that the Fu-qaha were using to come to religious rulings.

SubhanaAllah! Now upon us is our next Al-Maghribdouble weekend seminar starting Oct. 23rd. DivineLink: Fiqh of Salah taught by our beloved teacher,Sheikh Yasir Birjas. Reminiscent of Imam Bukhari

having a dream swatting flies and interpreting it as a sign to weed out all the weak hadith, how fitting is itthat our community has the opportunity to study the chapters pertaining to the Salah of one of the mostsought after compilation of hadith compilations Bulugh al-Maram. We have the opportunity to systemati-cally go over the authentic and weak hadith floating about our community with a qualified sheikh to solid-ify our salah and follow the Sunnah of Rasoolullah and in accordance to his (sallahu alayhi wa salaam)hadith "Pray as you have seen me pray".

In this class we will cover the topics: The times of Salat (prayer), Al-Adhan (the call to prayer), The con-ditions of Salat (prayer), Sutra (screen) in prayer, Khushu’ in Salah, Sujud-as-sahw and other matters, Vol-untary Prayer, Prayer in Congregation and the imamate, The prayer of a traveler and a sick person, Al-Jumu'a prayer, Salat-ul-Khauf (prayer in time of fear), The prayers of the two 'Eid (festivals), Salat-ul-Kusoof (prayer at an eclipse), and Salat-ul-Istisqa (prayer for rain) inshallah found within the pages of Bu-lugh al-Maram and whatever more or less Allah wills. So I urge you my brothers and sisters to hasten toattend this class and solidify your connection with your Creator. Jazakumullah Khayr!!

Narrated Mus’ab bin Sa’d Radhiyallahu anh: I offered prayer besidemy father and approximated both my hands and placed them in be-tween the knees. My father told me not to do so and said, "We usedto do the same but we were forbidden (by the Prophet) to do it andwere ordered to place the hands on the knees." (Sahih Al-Bukhari)

SubhanAllah! Let us show the same passion and desire to perfect ourSalah (even the little details) and learn how to pray the way our

Prophet Sallallahu alaihiwasallam used to pray.


8

La IlahaIlla Allah

By Umme Maryam

Cruising uphill Tahoe we see nature’s mani-fest beauty. Each curve, every bend is in itself a pieceof art. An ornament which exalts the mind and spirit.Adding to the beauty we see the tall pines standingfirmly, beaming with pride and grace, yet humbled.The evergreens providing just the perfect shade wecan ever imagine. We just can't miss out on theamazing obedience that the nature displays here.SubhnaAllah! The sweet melodies of the birds, thecharming symphonies of the insects- all just add up.All seem to be singing the same phrase. The ambi-ence is all about submission. It is all about obedience.It is all about Tawheed. IT IS ALL ABOUT “LAILAHA ILLA ALLAH”. They bow down they sub-mit trying to convey a very strong message.

“And the herbs (or stars) and the trees bothprostrate.” (Surah Ar-Rahman: 6)

Night never replaces day; Day never dis-places night. The soothing splashes of the oceansnever go beyond a certain point. All are so sub-mitting to its Creator (Al-Khaliq)’s will and serv-ing us. SubhanAllah! All of them are sweet re-minders- sober yet constant and repeated- of thecovenant we ratified with Allah Subhanahu watha’ala when we were asked:

"Am I not your Lord?"And our souls answered:

They said: "Yes! We do testify!"(Surah Al-A'raf: 172)

So tawheed was engrained in us. It was made part ofour fitrah (innate nature).As narrated by Abu Hurairah (R): Allah's Apostlesaid, "No child is born except on Al-Fitrah (Islam)and then his parents make him Jewish, Christian or

Magian, as an animal produces a perfect young ani-mal: do you see any part of its body amputated?"Then he recited: “So, set you your face towards thereligion as a Hanif (Monotheist). Allah's Fitrah withwhich He has created mankind. No change let therebe in Allah's Creation, that is the straight religion, butmost men know not.” (Surah Ar-Rum: 30)

But, the bigger question still remains! Arewe truly the Abds (slaves) of Allah?! Are we worthyof this title? Is our life truly reflecting Al-Islam? Arewe what we had testified to, declared and promised?

Allah Azza Wajal, Ar-Raheem and Al-Kareem guided us all along. Despite the fact of bless-ing us with Al-Islam, Allah did not leave us wander-ing in darkness. He provided us with Guidance of allkind- sent down Prophets, Books and placed manifestsigns (Ayat-ul-Kawniya) in nature. Do we have theinsight to see? Do we truly recite, reflect and ponder?

Let’s take a step back and think! Are wereally worshipping Allah or is it our nafs (ourselves)who is the illah? Or is it our wealth that’s ruling ournafs? Or is it our kids who we bow down to? Or is itour intellect whose the master of all? Or is it LAIL-LAHA ILLADUNIYA? (A’oodhubillah– I seek ref-uge in Allah)

What are our priorities? What are our aims,objectives and goals? Is it Aakhirah or is it Duniya ,Duniya and Duniya? Nothing beyond Duniya? Whatabout our Salah -are we really establishing it? Is itaffecting our lives?

Our relations are they sincerely for Allah?Our dream house- is it through halal means? Our reli-gious commitments- are they solely for Allah, TheMost Exalted and The Magnificent? Our kids- do wereally consider them as an amanah (trust from God)?


9

Our income and spending- do we ever seriously thinkwe would be answerable before Allah? Our ranks /positions- are we really worthy of it? If we have a bigYES to all these questions that we should be askingourselves,THEN-

Why are we facing so much fitnah? Why arewe going through so much today? Why is our nextgeneration- our legacy for tomorrow so confused?Where are we heading to? The only sole reason isthat we fail to realize the deeper meaning the trueessence of LA ILAHA ILLA ALLAH. How can we?!We have insulated ourselves. We are indulged in thefleeting pleasures of this duniya that it has maskedour fitrah. So much so that we are confident to goagainst it. We are actually racing away from

Aakhirah which is the only ultimate reality and thisreality will hit only the one who understands the real-ity of “THERE IS NO DEITY WORTHY OF WOR-SHIP BUT ALLAH" and that we will be and we areanswerable to Him. Then only we can truly strive topreserve and cherish all the bounties bestowed uponus. Then only can we claim to be real ambassadors ofIslam. Let’s all join hands and understand its mean-ing to be da’ee fee sabeelillah and take a new turnwhich would take us to ultimate horizons InshaAllah.

We don’t have to fret or dismay when theday wanes or the farewell gleams when dawn fadesto dusk and dusk to night. The mother earth willswing back to light again, inshAllah. Alhamdullilahwe still have time on our side. So let’s make the bestuse of it and proclaim the message.

Narrated 'Aisha:

The Prophet said"Jibreel contin-ued to recom-

mend me abouttreating the

neighbors Kindlyand politely somuch so that I

thought he wouldorder me to makethem as my heirs.

Sahih Al-Bukhari


10

Inheritance from the Prophet

Who is richer than the one who inherits from theProphet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam?

Imam Ahmad, the founder of the Hanbali school ofthought in Islamic Jurisprudence was onceasked, "What is sincerity in seeking knowledge?"And his reply was, "That you desire to remove igno-rance from yourself."

We know that it is the scholars who, while they mayhave struggled extensively in their intention, areamongst the most sincere worshippers of Allah sub-hanahu wa ta'ala. Allah testifies to this in the Qur'anin a number of places; most explicitly the ayah inSurah Faatir, where He says, "Indeed, among Hisservants, it is but the learned who fear Al-lah," (35:28).

This is because the best knowledge is knowledge ofAllah subhanahu wa ta'ala and 'the learned', as thescholars have agreed (with variation) is referring tothose with knowledge of Allah and the religion. IbnKathir says that this ayah means "only those whohave knowledge truly fear Him as He should befeared, because the more they know about the Al-mighty, All-Powerful, All-Knowing Who has themost perfect attributes and is described with the mostbeautiful Names, the more they will fear Him."

As Ibn Rajab mentions in "Warathat al-Anbiyaa'" ("Heirs of the Prophets"), this knowledgeof Allah is followed by knowledge of the pillars ofiman and then of the halaal and haraam and one’sobligations, etc. So for the one who learns his relig-ion, will he not be able to worship Allah better thanthe one with less knowledge? Even in His Book, Al-lah subhanahu wa ta'ala says, "Say: Are those whoknow equal to those who do not know?" (39:9). Andour Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, "Asingle knowledgeable believer is harder on Satanthan one thousand devout worshippers." (At-tirmidhi,Ibn Majah)

"The scholars are the heirs of the prophets," as the

Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam mentioned inthe hadeeth of Abu Darda' reported in MusnadAhmad, at-Timidhi and others, so with such an in-heritance, can any worship Allah better than them?

There is no doubt that this status is earned on ac-count of their knowledge and its superiority. Thisstatus is not only for the scholars, as the students ofthe inheritors of the prophets are also share in thatinheritance.

When Safwan ibn 'Assal radhia Allahu anhu came tothe Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam and said,"Yaa RasulAllah, I came to seek knowledge!" TheProphet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam said,"Welcome you knowledge seeker! Indeed the angelssurround the knowledge seeker with their wings,then they pile on top of each other until they reachthe lower heaven out of their love of what he isseeking." SubhanAllah, what an honor this is!

Wouldn't any one of us want to be surrounded bythe angels in such a way?

The ayat and ahadeeth we have mentioned should besufficient in conveying the importance of knowl-edge and when we read them and reflect upon them,

By Umm Sulaym


11

it should create within us a burning desire to learn,but that desire is often overwhelmed by excuses andbarriers projected by our own shortcomings.

The Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam said,"Seeking knowledge is obligatory on every Mus-lim." [Ibn Majah, Albani said it's Sahih]. Would anysensible person suggest that the righteous scholars ofthis Ummah wasted their time and studied knowledgein too much depth? Only one who is naive and hasbeen deprived of the sweetness of knowledge and itspursuit would suggest such a thing. So it is by theefforts of the scholars that we realize that knowledgeis an ocean, and the act of seeking knowledge be-comes a continuous obligation.

As we seek Allah's provision in this dunya, weshould also seek it in the akhirah. There are manyevidences pertaining to the treasure awaiting theseeker of knowledge in the akhirah. Sufficient is thehadeeth in Muslim and others, in which the Prophetsalla Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, "Any person whogoes along a course seeking knowledge, Allah willmake for him the path to Jannah easy because ofit." Beyond the obvious implications of this hadeeth,if we look even deeper, we'll realize that for the onewho seeks knowledge it should lead him to worship

Allah better, with more khushoo' (Consciousness),conviction, and sincerity.

Although two people might pray side by side, thequality of the prayer of the one who doesn't know theahadeeth related to the prayer is starkly differentfrom the prayer of the one who does.

In numerous places in the Qur'an, you will find Allahtestifying on behalf of knowledge and its people.Shouldn't this jumpstart our hearts in anxiousness forknowledge? How then are we still disillusioned intobelieving the knowledge we have is enough? If fromthe creation of Allah, the scholars carry the greatestknowledge in both quality and quantity, and theydedicate their lives to the knowledge, and the knowl-edgeable are those who truly fear Allah, are we betterthan them, to shun an opportunity to learn our deenand improve in our worship of Allah?

At-Tabaraani reported that Abu Bakrah said that theProphet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, "Youshould be a scholar, or a student, or a listener, or alover of knowledge and scholars, and you should notbe the fifth which makes you perish."

Which one will you be?

Don’t forget to pack these in your backpack when you set out forseeking your treasure of ‘ilm:

1. Always supplicate to Allah, to give youstrength and the right knowledge, knowledgethat will benefit you in both the worlds, andknowledge that will learn you to a better per-son.

2. When one seeks knowledge, it should befor the sake of Allah SWT. One should al-ways pray to Allah, to purify his intentions.Gain knowledge to worship and enslaveyourselves to Allah- thus, please Allah SWT.

3. Show humility. Remember Allah is The All-Knower of all things. "Know" enough to

"know" that you "know" not much.4. Gain the fruit of knowledge and wisdom, and

not simply knowledge. The fruit is implying itin one's lives.

5. Respect the one who teaches you, even ifyou do not agree to him completely . Be po-lite in asking questions.

6. Do not be among the one who teaches andenjoins good and forbids evil while we, our-selves do not practice it.

7. This one is a must– and perhaps a little tofind: Remember the 3 P’s- Persistence, Per-severance and Patience.


12

The Qur'an is by no doubt, the most important bookin our lives. We all keep saying that. But are wereally giving this book, its due right? The Book thatis the Speech of Allah SWT. The Book that is aMercy and Blessing from Our Lord Almighty, andindeed, it is Our Lord’s Mercy that He allows thesinning imperfect man to take benefit from this flaw-less speech! One of the main ways of not respectingthe Qur'an is when we recite it, we do so only to getthe Blessings, Ajar (reward), Hasanat that comeswith it. Of course, it is true that they is a lot of rewardin reciting it. And we should continue to recite itregularly and repeatedly. But our intention should beto really understand it, learn it and implement it byobeying what it guides us to, the commands of Allah,and avoiding what has been prohibited. We are sup-posed to be "Shuhadah" (witnesses) for the true mes-sage, against the rest of mankind who do not havethis Guidance.

All of us have a copy or more of The Holy and NobleQur'an, and we say that we respect it. But are wereally respecting it in the way that it deserves to berespected, in the way that we ourselves deserve?! Weshow respect to it in the secondary and tertiary as-pects like not allowing dust to settle on it, not writingin it, keeping it elevated, touching it only when weare in the state of wudu, and at the most, memorizinga little from it. Let's just really reflect upon this!

Allah SWT says: Those to whom we gave the Bookrecite it as it should be recited (Yatlunahu Haqqa Ti-lawatihi) they are the ones who believe therein. Andwhoso disbelieve in it, those are they who are thelosers. (2:121)

What is The correct recitation? Abu Al-Àliyah said that Ibn Masùd Radhiyallahu anh said,"By He in Whose Hand is my soul! The right Tila-wah is allowing what it makes lawful, prohibitingwhat it makes unlawful, reciting it as it was revealedby Allah, not changing the words from their places,

and not interpreting it with other than its actual inter-pretation.''

So, how can we return to the Quran andseize this blessing from Allah for our benefitand success in both the worlds?

1. Renew and Redefine our intentions:

When we read a book for a course study or for anexam, what is our intention? We want to understandand take maximum benefit from it so that it helps usbetter when we need to apply it where it has to beapplied. Even when we read a novel at our leisure,we want to understand the plot, the important charac-ters etc, and we even try to take lessons from them.When we read the ingredients on the grocery beforebuying it, we look for the key words, like Gelatin etc.We rarely read anything mindlessly, and even if wedo, we realize that we haven't gained anything out ofit, and turn back the pages and re-read it.

Qur'an is the book of Guidance for those who fearAllah, and this is what we should take from it. TheKey word is "Guidance". Allah SWT says: That isThe Book in which there is no doubt, guidance forthe Muttaqin. (2: 2)

2. Approach the Qur'an with an open mind:

Is what we want from the Qur'an consistent withwhat the Qur'an wants from us? Do we try to ap-proach the Qur'an with our own personal principles,notions, desires and views of life, and try to bring thewords of Allah SWT, in terms with our thoughts andnotions? And then we claim that this is what theQur'an teaches us?!

We should allow the Qur'an to speak for itself, toguide us, to show us the truth from falsehood, theright from wrong. If the purpose of the Qur'an isthis, then why not bind ourselves, and commit to fol-

Let Us Return To The Qur’anBy Umm Aisha


13

lowing it sincerely, instead of trying to justify ouractions which do not adhere to the teachings of theQur'an and the Sunnah?

This is the difference between the Muslims of today,and the Sahabah of the Prophet Sallallahu alaihiwas-salam. They would sincerely look to walk upon theright path, without the slightest of deviations, focusedin their mission to attain Jannah. If they had to elimi-nate some cultural acts that they had been followingbefore Islam, out of ignorance, they would do socompletely removing it from the roots, sincerely withtheir hearts and actions. While, today, our society hasadopted customs and rituals which are not from theteachings of Qur'an or Sunnah and we do not like tobe told so. When the Qur'an shows that it is wrong,we still do not want to give it up. This shows the ex-act same kind of pride in the way of the fore-fathersthat the Mushrikeen (polytheists) in Makkah duringthe time of Muhammed and Ibraheem Alaihumassa-lam showed!

Today, we pride ourselves for our thought-to-be-sohigh level of intelligence and advancements that wefeel we can always make the right decisions and dothe right thing. And this, gradually has started to cor-rupt our beliefs too. In Islam, we believe that weneed Divine Guidance, that is, The Qur'an- unlikewhat rationalists and philosophers today claim thatGod has given us all the intelligence that is needed toguide ourselves. So, let's keep a check on ourselveswhere we stand!

3. Release the Qur'an from any constraints of timeand space:

The Qur'an was revealed and preserved, and will bepreserved until the end of mankind for the purpose ofshowing the truth. We have to believe that everyayah in the Qur'an is a message for us to reflect uponand learn from it. We know the stories from theQur'an, but do we know the messages and numerouslessons it brings to us? We read the tafseer, and thenmove on with complacence, that such and such thingshappened in the past. Why did Allah SWT, The All-Knower, and The Most-Wise, preserve it in theQur'an? The Message is for us, so that we can check

whether we share those characteristics and change forthe better. The Qur'an is talking about the reality ofthings happening to us and around us whether or not,we realize and accept it. For example, in the story ofBani Isra'eel, we learn about their insincerity to Allahand His Prophets, their laziness, how they turn backto their old ways, their ingratitude towards theirLord, their qualities of hypocrisy, their weak emaan,and their inconsistency in the worship of Allah etc.And then we even curse them, view them as theworst among the disbelieving people. Do we ponderupon whether we exhibit the similar characteristics infront of Our Lord? We have to realize that the mes-sages within the stories are independent of the actualstories and time.

4. Qur'an has been revealed for the individual"YOU":

It doesn't matter if the other person is following theQur'an or not; what matters and will affect you isdepending on how much you chose to live by theQur'an. On the Day of Judgment, we will stand infront of Allah SWT alone, no one to help us or harmus except our deeds and how we approached theBook of Guidance. So, we cannot afford to "not fol-low" the Qur'an just because others are not, thisshould never be our excuse.If we got an email from our most beloved, a friend orfamily member we love a lot, what would we do?How will you read this letter that has been addressedto none but yourself? How much haste and excite-ment would be there as you read it? Likewise, theQur'an is addressed to "you", and it is from The Onewe claim to love the most! We say the Qur'an is themost important possession, most valuable property.But do we treat it that way? We seek Blessings forour gatherings and functions by starting with theayahs of The Holy Qur'an; but do we follow andobey what it expects us to?! When the Qur'an wasrevealed, Allah was either commanding to do some-thing that is good for mankind (on an individual'slevel and/or for the mankind as a whole) or it wasprohibiting something that is not good for us. Andhow much of this do we take seriously?

5. Living under the shade of Qur'an as long as youlive:


14

Our efforts to become closer to Allah should be con-tinuous and consistent at all times. Our emaan is sub-ject to increase and decrease. Emaan is not somethingstatic; so if it isn't increasing, it decreases. AllahAzza Wajal keeps talking to us about the strugglesbetween truth and falsehood, and the treacheroustemptations of the Duniya and Shaytan. We do notknow where/what we are falling into unless we striveand experience the contentment and the real happi-ness that comes with submission and obedience tothe Lord Almighty.

The more we turn to the Quran with Sincerity and astrong will to live under the shade of the Guidance,the more Allah Blesses us with goodness. The morefrequently we reflect upon an ayah, the more wisdomand understanding and comprehension Allah bestowsupon us.

Allah says: Those who listen to the Word and followthe best thereof, those are (the ones) whom Allah hasguided and those are men of understanding. (SurahAz-Zumar: 18)

How foolish would it be if we did not hold firmly tothe rope of Allah, and instead chose to fall into thedark traps set up by Shaytan! How foolish would itbe if we chose fleeting worldly pleasures over theeternal bliss?! May Allah SWT make among thosewho are wise, and know Him, and listen and turn ourhearts to His Guidance, Mercy and Blessing- TheQur'an....aameen!

(Compiled from a gem-packed session dur-ing Uloom-ul-Quran by Sh. Jamaal Zarabozo,may Allah preserve him and his family)

Had We had sent down

this Qur'an upon a

mountain, you would

have seen it humbled

and coming apart from

fear of Allah . And these

examples We present to

the people that perhaps

they will give thought.

(59: 21)

Some Gems From Surah Al-Fathiha:

Islam is a religion of balance. Islam has taughtus to choose the middle way, in the sense, that it re-quires us to follow certain things and strive to becomea better individual, but at the same time, there is nohardship or extremism. Similarly, Surah Al-Fathihaalso balances the concept of Allah Azza Wajal’s in-definite and Bountiful Mercy with His Justice on theDay of Judgment, of which He alone is The Ownerand has Sovereignty over.

Surah Al-Fathiha introduces and teaches usabout Our Lord, the Lord of the worlds, and thenabout mankind (the three categories). It introduces tous Our Creator, The Master and then how we, as Hiscreations, willingly enslave ourselves to The Master.

This Surah establishes the relationship be-tween “Ilm” (Knowledge) and “Amal” (Action), andhow one cannot exist without the other. How “al-magdhoobi alaihim” are those who had the knowl-edge, and yet, did not act upon it (The Jews, for exam-ple) and “adh-dhaalleen” are those who worshippedand had the actions, but they chose to go astray as theydid not have the right knowledge to act upon (for ex-ample: The Christians).

At the least, one recites this surah 17 times,and we say “Iyyaka Na’budu”- “To You Alone, do weworship and willingly enslave ourselves to”. A slave isa slave at all times. Are we really living up to what wesay 17 times a day?!


15

Sister "Flickering intentions" - After readingyour book "Release Your Inner Queen of Sheba",I have started to believe that it's ok if you have aninclination towards being motivated to do thingsfor significance. I find it difficult to keep my in-tentions purely for the sake of Allah. Please ad-vice!

Jazaki Allahu khayran for the question, espe-cially since by asking it, I think that you're going tobe just fine, insha Allah. If you weren't concernedwith the intentions and the reward for the thingsyou do, you likely wouldn't bother to ask it.

I think that it's important to always know thatwe're all motivated by a number of factors and whenone or two factors are dominant - it becomes the"vehicle" by which we accomplish things. Motivat-ing factors are just that - factors used to motivateus. Having clarity and knowledge of our dominantmotivating factors makes it easier for us to accom-plish tasks. That's it!

It shouldn't be about your ego or your desireto receive praise or even your need for certainty, ad-venture or love. It should be about what gets you toact - to lead your best life. And significance can defi-nitely play a big part in that it's probably the motivat-ing factor that will lead people to make contributionsthat will benefit others more so than the others.

For those motivated by significance, it's im-portant to always remember that pleasing Allah SWTshould be the ultimate goal. It's about showing HIM,azza wa jaal, that you can achieve, that you can bethe best that you can be. It's about continually re-newing your intentions and reminding yourself thatthe more accolades you acquire or the more praiseyou receive means nothing if you fail to do it for thesake of Allah SWT.

Sister "hard-hearted"- I still haven't forgotten

about the times that a certain somebody hurt me.I feel I have forgiven the person. Is forgetting partof forgiveness too? What advice do you have forme? Jazakillah khayran.

There was a sister in one of the workshopsI presented who mentioned a memorable quote thatwent like this: "holding onto a grudge islike swallowing poison yourself but hoping someoneelse will die." Forgiveness is indeed a gift that wegive ourselves, a selfish (in a good way) act that freesus to live our best lives.

It's a funny thing about forgettingthough. Some might say, "oh, I'll never forget" in away that means they haven't forgiven either. Othersmight perceive forgetting as a sort of assault onthemselves - a belittling of the injustice served untothem.

Here's what I think is the most practical anduseful way of looking at it:

The Prophet Muhammad SAW has said:"The believer does not fall from the samehole twice." If "forgive and forget" means makingthe same mistakes again and again or turning theother cheek to an obvious abuse, then it becomes in-cumbent upon you not to forget. But if forgettingmeans freeing you of negativity and unburdeningyourself from limitations to your time and yourdeeds, then forgetting will work to your favor.

It's always best to give your Muslim brotheror sister the benefit of the doubt, the 70 excuses thatwill keep them in your favor - and the more you areable to do this without falling into any holes again,the better. However, there are times when "forgiveand forget" is easier said then done. If you find your-self in such a position, it would help to see a Muslimcounselor in your area insha Allah.

May Allah SWT ease your burden and leadyou to that which is best.

Heba Alshareef is a teacher and author of “Release Your InnerQueen of Sheba!” She has been mentoring women around the worldto discover their unique talents, act on their aspirations to achievegreat things, and find authentic happiness. She lives with her hus-band and five children near Toronto, Canada. Visit her online at:www.iamsheba.com

http://iamsheba.com/


16

Tawakkul–The Winning State Of MindTawakkul is a fundamental part of the

Islamic Aqeedah. A person with true faith willalways rely on Allah by assigning all his affairs toAllah and maintain the heart in the state of peaceand tranquility. He puts in his best possible effortsto do what Allah expects him to do in each andevery matter and does not worry about the re-sults.

Umar Bin Khattaab, radhiallahu ànhu heard theMessenger of Allah, Sall Allaahu àlayhi wa sal-lam saying, “If you trust Allah with right kind ofTawakkul, He will provide you sustenance as Heprovides for the birds – they go out in the morningwith empty stomachs and come back in the eveningwith full stomachs.” (Tirmidhi)

We need to remember two aspects of tha-wakkul here. Firstly, Tawakkul does not mean tosit idle and not strive for sustenance in this life,hoping for a pure miracle from Allah. The realTawakkul, as evidenced by verses of Qur’an &Hadeeth quoted above, is to continue with stead-fastness on the responsibilities and duties Allah isexpecting of you in the best way you can, withoutworrying about the results, instead leaving theresults totally to Allah. If you study the abovehadeeth itself, it does not tell that the birds arejust sitting in their nests; rather they are goingout, working for their satisfying their needs andcoming back.

Secondly, the hadeeth does not imply thatAllah will provide lot of wealth and provisions,happiness and trial-free lives, to the person whorelies on Allah; rather his needs will be taken carein some manner. It may be apparent result of hisefforts or it may be by some other means he neverthought of. It is worth to remember the Qur’anicverse “And whoever fears Allah, He will providehim a way out and will provide for him from an un-foreseen direction. And whoever relies on Allah, Heis sufficient for him”(Surah At-Talaq: 2-3). Allahdoesn’t say that, he will not give anything to thosewho are not conscious about Allah. But the suste-

nance from unforeseen directions and the excite-ment followed by it will be enjoyed by only thosewho tawakkul to Allah.

It is a fact that peace of mind is the great-est thing a person can acquire in this world. Itoutweighs all the other things that a person canpossess. A mutawakkil will be free from all wor-ries and will be leading a peaceful life. It is a to-tally liberating, very empowering state of mindthat a true believer attains because of his trust inand reliance on the power and support of Al-lah and because of the contentment he feels inserving Allah without being concerned about theresults that Allah provides for his untiring efforts.This kind of resolute trust in and reliance on Al-lah– Tawakkul – provides such tranquility toone’s heart. The Messenger of Allah, Salla Al-laahu àlayhi wa sallam said, "How wonderful it isfor a believer that he always ends up with goodness:If he suffers and remains steadfast, it is rewarding;if good things happen and he thanks Allah, that isalso rewarding." (Sahih Muslim)

He who puts all his trust in Allah is like ababy. Just as the infant is not aware of havinganything else to turn to, except its mother, thecompletely trustful person [al-mutawakkil] feelshimself guided in no other direction, except to-ward his Lord!

By Suhaib V.

“Say, He is The MostMerciful we have be-

lieved in Him, andupon Him we have

relied.”(Surah Al-Mulk: 29)


17

Ever-LastingRamadan

ByTurner Schafer

All praise is to Allah who has commanded the be-lievers to fast the month of Ramadan in order thatthey may achieve Taqwa. (Surah Baqara:183) “ Oyou who have believed, decreed upon you is fastingas it was decreed upon those before you that you maybecome righteous.” That we leave off the lawful forthe sake of Allah in order that leaving off the haramwill be that much easier. While we are fasting ourstomachs don’t understand our mind now overpowerslust.

The feeling the Muslim gets when fasting is inde-scribable. It is a mix of the physical and the spiritualupliftment that someone who is not on tawhid cannotunderstand. They see you fasting at school or workand only see the physical sacrifice but they cannotsee the spiritual elevation. Fasting is the one gooddeed between you and Allah. The only good deedthat cannot be taken away on the Day of Judgmentfrom those you did injustice to. Brothers and Sisters,establish regular nawafil days of fasting throughoutthe year. Get a group of friends for support andstrive hard in the path of Allah. May Allah make ourtest easy and accept our fast and grant us JannathulFirdaws.

Now here we are after the month of Ramadan andknowing the benefits of fasting, where is our fastingthe 6 days of Shawwal? Fasting Mondays and Thurs-days? Fasting ayaam al-beed the 13th, 14th and 15th

of each month? Will we follow through with our

romanticizing of the fast of Dawud alayhi sa-laam? The answer is probably not. After a few daysof regular eating we think to ourselves how did weever complete the fast of the month of Rama-dan. The month of Ramadan is a time for fasting andcontemplation and I’m reminded that Ibn Masood(radiallahu anhu) did not engage in a lot of nawafilfast because he wanted to have energy to study theQuran. I say we don’t have to mirror the rest of theyear’s acts of worship to reflect exactly like themonth of Ramadan but we do have to strive for thepleasure of Allah with the same determination. MayAllah make our lives full of good deeds and obedi-ence to Him.

Today, post month of Ramadan my naseeha, my ad-vice. It isn’t to focus on nawafil fast. The nawafilfast is your own advice to yourself. You see thebenefits of fasting and have already promised your-self that this year you will perform many days ofnawafil fast.

I leave you with this. You have to be conscious ofwhat you are doing! It’s all about being con-scious. When you are conscious of what you are do-ing you will keep on doing good; habits have inten-tions only when you are conscious of what you aredoing - the intention of pleasing Allah. So of ourgood habits now that the month of fasting is over;how many of us have been at the masjid everynight? How many of us have said Salaam Alaikum

to another Muslim they didn’t know? How many ofus have smiled at another believer? How many of ushave read a single ayah from the Quran since the endof Ramadan? It’s not because we don’t love thesethings but because we aren’t conscious of why wewere doing them in the month of Ramadan. So whatbenefit did the month of Ramadan bring? Why have-n’t we become conscious that we are a traveler in thisworld and we are traveling down the road to the Dayof Standing?

Let us all plant a seed in our hearts, a seed to believein the Day of Judgment. A seed that wants believe inAllah with sure faith. A seed that says my end goalis to be counted among the believers. A seed thatwants to love Allah; that wants to love the Quran. Aseed that admits the things you are doing haram areharam! A seed to believe that Allah can give you


18

that strength to change.

I remind you of Surah At-Takathur and encourageyou to read it’s tafsir: The mutual rivalry (for pilingup of worldly things) diverts you, Until you visit thegraves (i.e. till you die). Nay! You shall come toknow! Again nay! You shall come to know! Nay! Ifyou knew with a sure knowledge (the end result ofpiling up, you would not have been occupied your-selves in worldly things). Verily, You shall see theblazing Fire (Hell)! And again, you shall see it withcertainty of sight! 8. Then on that Day you shall be

asked about the delights (you indulged in, in thisworld). Brothers and Sisters- plant that seed of surefaith and make dua to Allah, the one who turnshearts and the one who guides you to As-Sirat-ul-Mustaqeem. The path that is straight both forwardand upwards towards Him. To believe that no mat-ter what obstacles you face on that path following As-Sirat-ul-Mustaqeem that Allah will not burden a soulmore than it can bear and dying as a Muslimis indeed the true success. May Allah forbid for us todie as anything other than a Muslim.

Some Tips for An Ever-lasting Ramadan, That YouCan Stick on Your Refrigerator or Office Clip-board

1. Don’t stop making dua that your Rama-dan get accepted by Allah. Scholars of thepast would make dua for six months afterRamadan that their deeds, fasting andprayers got accepted; and then six monthsthat Allah blesses them with another Rama-dan. This way, your “Ramadan Spirit” staysalive the whole year around just as cher-ished memories are kept alive by talking andthinking about it often.2. Establish your most important obligatoryact of worship- Salah! And “establish”means “perfect” it. Allah SWT never com-manded us “to pray” (Swallu); He com-mands us to “Establish it” (Aqim-us-Salah).Volumes can be spoken about the impor-tance of this act of ibadah- Salah is the onlyact that has even been mentioned in theQuran as “Emaan” (faith) itself.3. Invest your energy, time and money inseeking knowledge about Allah and HisDheen through His Kalam (Quran) and Sun-nah of our Prophet. Ramadan is an annualbootcamp- when you are constantly en-gaged in seeking ‘ilm, you get to stay fit foreach year’s boot camp- and every year, itgets better, and it should!4. Be in good company and around piouspeople- who will take you on the road toJannah.

5. Keep ties and relations with people ingeneral- be it Muslims or Non-Muslims; benice. Keep your intention to spread the lightof Islam, rather than you being influenced bythem.6. Habituate what you practiced in Rama-dan. You have proven to yourself that youcan increase your good deeds and ibadah,this Ramadan. Practically, it is natural thatyour eman will be higher in Ramadan thanever- but strive as much as you can to notsink considerably to where you had startedout.7. Put in a little more effort than before, ineducating your family, especially your kidsabout Islam, and do good collectively. Learntogether- when you teach your children, youalso train yourself to practice more, and ifyou don’t, your kids make sure you do!8. In Ramadan, you shut down your televi-sion so that you can channel your time tomore rewarding acts! And you have tastedits sweetness. Continue to do so!9. Do your dhikr on a daily basis- Quranand Dhikr are the two lines of communica-tion with your Lord- Quran is how The LordAlmighty communicated to us, and Dhikr Al-lah is how we communicate with Him AzzaWajal.


19

The Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wa-sallam was alone in a cave, when afigure emerged and commandedthat he recite or read. The Prophetsallallahu alayhi wasallam, fright-ened and bewildered replied, “Icannot read” and then Jibreel alay-hissalam, grabbed him andsqueezed until he could not bear itanymore and ordered him again toread. The Prophet again repliedthat he could not read. Thereuponhe caught him for the third timeand pressed him and then releasedhim and said, 'Read in the name ofyour Lord, who has created (allthat exists) has created man from aclot. Read! And your Lord is theMost Generous." (96.1, 96.2, 96.3)and thus began the revelation ofthe Quran. (Sahih Al-Bukhari)There are several meanings as towhat the word quran actuallymeans however, the majority andthe strongest opinion (according toour instructor) states that the word‘quraan’ means to recite; it meansthe recitation or that which is re-cited. The Qur’aan describes itselfin a number of different ways us-ing adjectives and nouns, reflect-ing its status and lofty position. Ofthe many names used is The Ki-taab, or that which is written, thisis the first name of the quran that’smentioned:

‘This is the Book (the Qur’aan),whereof there is no doubt, a guid-ance to those who are Al-Muttaqoon.’(Surah Al-Baqara:2)

The names Quran and Kitaab areactually complimentary, quran isrecited and the kitaab is written

resulting in a book that is both re-cited and written.

Another name that we findis Furqaan, Allah says:

‘Blessed be He who sentdown the criterion (of Right andwrong, i.e. This Qur’aan) to Hisslave (Muhammad) that he may bea warner to the 'Alameen’ (SurahAl-Furqan: 1)

The word Furqaan comes from theroot Fa-Ra-Qa which means thatwhich separates. Applied in thiscontext, it separates and distin-guishes between truth and false-hood, light and darkness, good andevil and there is no better guide inthis life than this Furqaan becauseAllah refers to it as a separator andthose who follow it will beamongst the successful.

During the period of time whichthe Quran was being revealed, theSahabah recorded the verses onwhat they could find, on leavesand barks- on anything that theycould find. The Quran wasn’tcompiled into a book during thetime of the Prophet’s lifetime,there was no pressing need to doso. The Arabs were accustomed tomemorizing everything since theywere an illiterate nation thereforeactually compiling the Quran andplacing it in the form of a bookwas not necessary. However, afterthe death of the Prophet, in a battle(Battle of Yamamah), over 70 ofthe huffadh passed away and thisworried some of the Sahabah.Worried and concerned, they ap-proached Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq,the Khalifah, about compiling the

Quran into a book form in order topreserve it. Abu Bakr Radhiyal-lahu anh was initially against the

idea but eventually gave in andthus began the official compilationof the Quran. A second compila-tion took place during the Khilafatof Uthmaan Radhiyallahu anh andthis time, it was compiled keepingin mind, the need for it to be pre-served and so the mushafs weresent along with reciters to teachthe correct recitation to the peopleof the Muslim lands. About 4-8copies were made for this purpose,and of course it was hand-written.(SubhanAllah- compare it to ourtimes when we have millions ofprinted copies in the best formatand style. During those times, peo-ple cherished it in style and beautyin their hearts and today, our heartsfail to realize the Quran’s beautyand added to it, the history of itscompilation.)

After learning about the compila-tion of the Quran, the stages of

A Taste Of Uloom-ul-Quran– Route 114By Umm Zubayr


20

revelation, and all that followed, there was one re-sounding lesson that stuck; that we don’t give theQuran, its haqq (right that it deserves). Of the mira-cles presented to previous nations, only a few wit-nessed them, but our miracle, the Quran has beenpreserved for all to see, yet we turn away from it.After learning about the compilation of the Quranand the preservation of the Quran, one’s awe andlove of the Quran will be renewed. As our reverenceof the Quran increases, our desire to read and interactwith it should also increase.

Amongst the most basic of means of changing ourrelationship with the Quran is adjusting the state ofmind that we are in when we approach theQuran. Once we have personalized the message ofthe Quran, then we can’t help but turn to it for guid-ance. Allah azza wajal says:

“Has not the time yet come for those who believethat their hearts should be humble for the remem-brance of Allah and what has come down of thetruth? And that they should not be like those whowere given the Book before, but the time becameprolonged to them, so their hearts hardened, and mostof them are transgressors.” (Surah Al-Hadeed, 57:16) Indeed the time has come for our hearts to be hum-bled by the Remembrance of Allah. Let us beamongst those who learn from the mistakes of thosebefore us, let us be amongst those who take care notto follow in the footsteps of the nations that precededus, let us hold fast to our book, our gift from Allahazza wajal, our treasure, let us keep our tonguesmoist with its recitation and our minds open to itsguidance, for verily we have been heedless for far toolong!!

Ever Wondered About Their LoveBy Asfia Khan

In a small village on multiple nights, a silent prayer took flight.For the child that had not yet been seen; floating inside, struggling for its being.

For its ‘qadr’, a righteous life and all the goodness; a mother’s lips parted for forgiveness.Ever wondered about her love; started before the birth, so selfless a love.

The aches and pains so patiently borne; with not the slightest sign of forlorn.With every painful turn, a smile of joy; waiting for their baby: girl or boy.

The evenings spent in planning for their ward; nights in servitude to the Lord.Ever wondered about their love; started before the birth, so selfless a love.

Our first words- their baby’s treasure; recorded and celebrated with great pleasure.Spreading their loving arms to break our fall; cuddle and guide us to always stand tall.To the school and back a father’s chore; seldom did he complain of his back being sore.

Ever wondered about his love; growing with passing years, so abundant a love.

The sleep they sacrificed praying for our future; the changes they underwent for a calmer nature.The words they taught to acquaint us of religion; the Quran they read to broaden our vision.

Enrolled in the best schools, to make us bright; although not on their pockets was it always light.Ever wondered about their love; growing with passing years, so abundant a love.

And now as we become adults from a child; our parents approach an age equally mild.Remember to love them, as they loved us; to help and protect them as they protected us.

Treat your parents with mercy; a command entrusted on us by our Lord who loves clemency.Wonder in amazement and recall their love; unconditional, everlasting, so pure a love.


21

And lower to them the wing

of humility out of mercy

and say, "My Lord, have

mercy upon them as they

brought me up [when I was]

small."

(Surah Al-Isra’: 24)

Hold their hands, if they stumble in a walk; hold it gently, like they did, when you first started to walk.Listen to them, hear what they say; for those ears took note of your every sigh and pray.Be patient if they spill at dinner; remember the messes we made when we were younger?Wonder in amazement and recall their love; unconditional, everlasting, so pure a love.

And when they cross the age of sagacity; let not your wisdom demean their faculty.Never did they tire of repeating to you; so let not their request of repetition then bother you.A kind word and a warm hug, is all it takes; to dispel their anxieties that keeps them awake.

For, to be treated with kindness is every parents’ right; beware then of even the smallest slight.

If they are far, do not despair; your good deeds and righteous acts will be the answer to their prayer.Call them often and make them feel important; they’ve given up their lives so we could be brilliant.

And If they no longer exist, do not be upset; supplicate to Allah that they be in peace wherever they rest.For, to be treated with kindness is every parents’ right; beware then of even the smallest slight.

Allah SWT commands:

And We have enjoined on man (to be dutiful and good) to his parents. His mother bore him inweakness and hardship upon weakness and hardship, and his weaning is in two years -- give

thanks to Me and to your parents. (Surah Luqman: 14)

In Arabic, the words “Abu” and “Umm” have a de-gree higher than “Walid” and “Walida” even thoughboth of them mean “Father” and “Mother” respec-tively. The latter has the implication of simply beingbiological parents whether or not, they contributedto your nurturing and moulding you into who aretoday. The former terms, on the other hand ex-plains more that they not only are your biologicalparents, but also the ones who brought you up,loved and cared for you, provided for you etc.

In this ayah, notice that Allah uses the word“Walidaihi” which shows us the importance of re-specting and loving your parents just for the factthat they gave birth to you and are your biologicalparents. SubhanAllah! Our generation gap with ourparents or difference of opinion with them is notexcuses, for not being kind and dutiful to them.

And then, Allah SWT also elevates the position ofyour mother, as she is the one who bore morehardships, just with the usage of “Ummuhu”

Indeed, Food for your thoughts!


22

ARE YOU A MUSLIM OR AN“AMERICAN-MUSLIM”?

I used to think that the idea of an American-Muslimidentity was silly. “I am a Muslim”- end of story. Ihave my complete way of life, my laws, my history,my role models, my etiquette, my connection to myLord via a divinely prescribed method as well as di-rect access to His Mighty Words. “Why in the worldwould I need to prefix American before a completeway of life,” I reasoned?

Fast forward 5 or 6 years and myview has changed. Perhaps dueto the growth of my kids or theincreased volume of my dealingswith Non-Muslims since becom-ing Muslim myself, or my fur-thered awareness of the corrup-tion, racism, and oppression inMuslim lands, I've come to seemy earlier position as beingideological. I now believe it tobe an essential outlook for Mus-lims living in America, to con-sciously adopt the identity of“American-Muslim.”

Why Identity Matters

Upon simple reflection, it is easy to realize that howwe view ourselves affects our behavior and affectsour relationship with others. When a cop puts on hisuniform he holds himself to different level of conductand interacts with people in a different way. Some-one who sees himself as benefactor of an institutionwill behave differently than one who views himselfas a victim of that institution. If you consider your-self an honest person, you'll behave differently thanone who sees the world as a corrupt place and doesn'tconsider the impact of his personal deceptions as“making things any worse.”

If you are in a “foreign” land where most people are

out to get you, you'll adopt a more guarded personal-ity and a less empathetic personality than someonewho views himself as being “home” and viewing thepeople to be generally good-hearted, well-intentionedpeople.

Loyalty to the Ummah

Even though I am an American,once I became Muslim, I thoughtmy only reason for staying here ina Non-Muslim country is for myrelatives and for “da’wah.” Howelse could I justify staying hereand paying taxes while theAmerican military seemed intenton raiding Muslim lands? WhileAmerica funnels so much moneyto Israel who continues to expandsettlements making life miserablefor my Palestinian brothers andsisters?

My former viewpoint failed toaccount for my daily realities andthe true context of the world we

live in today. The concept of the “Muslim Body” orthe “Ummah” is theoretical. We share a sacred bondwith our brothers and sisters around the world thathas to be respected, that has rights. However, to con-sider it to have any political weight is naive. There isno Islamic political body in the world that we “reportback to.”

And I have let go of the idea that some small groupof good brothers and sisters somewhere in the worldwill crop up any moment, establish a just land, andwe'll just bring our families over there and live in anIslamic utopia. Our Ummah didn't decay over nightand it won't rebuild overnight at a political level. Ofcourse nothing is beyond the Power of Allah, but we

From The Perspective of Aboo Zaid

“They will be open to

hearing more about it

(Islam) once you start

showing concern for

them and taking an

active role in adding

value in their life.”


23

need to take note of the general laws of cause an ef-fect and how a state grows in the modern world. The

means for statehood are quite significant todaywith sophistication in media, management,

and psychology being key means forthriving under the lights of the con-

temporary world stage.

Loyalty to America

Our case here in Americais different than the

emissaries of the com-panions who tradedin Non-Muslimlands. They wouldgo there, trade, doda’wah, and re-turn back tohea dquar t ersafter sometime. Theiridentity was“ M u s l i m ”without anyqualifica tionas it shouldhave been. Inour case, we'renot returning“home” any-wh er e f or“Islamic” rea-sons. We're ashome as we canget in terms of

the living in aplace where we

can do good for the“Ummah.”

For the reasons above, itbecomes justifiable and

necessary, in my opinion, toadopt the identity of an

American-Muslim for anyoneliving here. We're not Muslims,

who happen to be living in Americaby chance. If we're adults, we've con-

sciously made this choice for a set of benefits.

Implicit in that is an agreement, a treaty to be produc-tive members of this society and be loyal to it. Loyalmeaning we actively support it and help it in areas ofgood and we work within the system to oppose itsevil.

“Within the system” is the key distinction and a cru-cial mindset for a healthy identity. Some hold theview, even though they categorically reject any typeviolent rebellion, that we should take opportunities asthey are presented to “undermine” the system inplaces where it contradicts the sacred Shariah law.This stems from a deep love and loyalty to theShariah but fails to recognize the implicit treatywe've made by living here.

This is the mindset of someone who has not adoptedthe American-Muslim identity, one who reserves hisloyalties solely for the Shariah, even though we lacka practical manifestation of a Shariah based state inthe world today. The problem with this mentality isthat you're not fooling anyone. If you lack regard forthe system here and a genuine desire for the better-ment of this society, that sentiment is read loud andclear by your colleagues, neighbors, and other non-Muslim acquaintances.

How will you build trust, the first ingredient neededfor the dawah, if the people who interact with you seeyou as someone who wants to subvert their law anddoesn't really want to work within this society?

What's the Solution?

Be an American-Muslim. Be grateful for the opportu-nities that are here and the general open mindednessand sensitivities of the people, especially comparedto France and other European countries. Instead ofseeking to implement pieces of Shariah which weredesigned to work in a system, work within this sys-tem as you have agreed. Genuinely wish for a betterlife for your Non-Muslim acquaintances as you doyour Muslim brothers and sisters in all aspects of life.Your wish for their guidance will then be better re-ceived; your message more readily listened to.

This is a largely agnostic society. Most people youencounter will place zero value on your religiousknowledge. But they will be open to hearing moreabout it once you start showing concern for them and


24

taking an active role in addingvalue in their life. Once you showyour relevance to their life, yourmanners will start to be noticed,your demeanor, your habits, andsoon enough the platform will bethere for a meaningful da’wahopportunity.

What about American foreignPolicy?

We've got to distinguish betweenthe people and government. Seri-ous brain washing campaignshave been launched on the Ameri-can public to marginalize us andcast aspersion on Islamic values.We can vehemently opposeAmerican foreign policy whilenot condemning the citizenry atan individual level. Give them achance to know you with you put-

ting your best foot forward beforedeciding they are against you.You may be surprised. I've heardstories of the most anti-MuslimAmericans turning 180 degreesupon getting to know a Muslimreally well.

Final Caveats

It needs to be stated that becom-ing an American-Muslim andviewing our existence here with amore integrated approach, should-n't lead to satisfaction. It stillshould cause some reservation inthe heart that we use “Free”checking accounts and allow ourmoney to be invested with inter-est. It should still hurt that our taxdollars fund oppressive militarycampaigns. It should still be asource of dissatisfaction that we

don't have a functional Islamicstate. Being an American-Muslimdoes not mean you put on rosecolored classes and see the worldthrough the lens of red, white andblue. It simply means intending tobe part of the fabric of this soci-ety, be leaders that the peopleneed and look up to, while work-ing to affect change within thesystem.

If you want to betray the system,undermine it, then leave. But ifyou stay, help it as an American,an American-Muslim. Embraceyour reality and live strong. Don'tlive on the margins in a theoreti-cal world, wishing about whatcould be, but offering no tangiblebenefit to your surroundings.


25

The goal of a Muslim, in all humility, is to attain alevel of piety by which Allah in all His mercy notonly lets them in to Paradise but also prevents thefires of hell away from them. So, how do we under-stand piety and how do we quantify the level re-quired. Some approach this philosophically and someapproach it literally, but what better way to approachit than the practical way of the Last and final messen-ger Muhammad ibn Abdullah (May peace and bless-ings of Almighty Allah be on him).

What was his way, how did he teach the Sahaba, therightly guided companions, and how did they pass onthis information - Numerous ahadith abound on thissubject, from the way a Bedouin was taught about thebasic deeds of tawheed, Salah, Sawm, & Zakah andthat was enough for him, to the additional teachingsto the sahabah of specific dua/recitation of the quranor a practice - additional to the basic pillars thatwould guard them against hellfire and make Jannahthat much more closer.

The teaching of our Prophet and Messenger (SAWS)was as specific to an individual as it was general tothe public, able to fit the needs of a desert dwellingBedouin to people of intellect. With so many ways toattain piety and with each individual the piety level isa sliding scale, it is up to us to make the choice toearn "thawab" - or grade points from Allah. Manda-tory deeds done consistently will bring a balancewhere insha Allah our bad deeds will not outweighour good deeds and we can hope for mercy from ourLord Subhanahu Wa Tha’ala.

Else, we can choose one ride to Jannah, this choice isa conscious additional to the mandatory.

Some choose to be the first to Salah, before time andin the first saff (row) and in Jama’ah. Some chooseSawm, fasting as the Messenger used to fast and thedays he used to fast. Some choose Sadaqah, charityfor the sake of Allah and over and above the manda-tory Zakah. Some have an affinity to serve the Quran

- reciting it, perfecting it, teaching it and propagatingit. Some choose to serve the poor and the destitute,with the intention to serve Allah and for His sakeonly. Some choose to serve the orphans, to get closeto the Messenger on yaum-al-qiyamah - the Day ofrecompense.

And some choose to be scholars in the path of Allah,for the sake of His dheen and to propogate it.

The choices are many as the Prophet (SAWS) hastaught us, so whatever your choice is, be mindfulthough, before you choose, be consistent and fearAllah, as Allah Azza Wajal knows what is in thehearts and minds of His Creations.

We, as creations are weak, we err and we sin, we arenot made perfect, let not the fear of errors or the fearof being exposed to errors stop us, from choosing aride to Jannah. Make that choice now, voluntarily,consciously and deliberately.

What is Your Ride to JannahBy Farooqi J. Syed

The path you trod on, at timesmay be filled with hardships,like travelling in the desert–but never lose focus– Knowhow to differentiate betweenthe mirages that fool you andthe real oasis where you will

experience pure bliss, and drinkfrom the cool fountain of Al-

Kawthar insha Allah.


26

Imagine being given the famousred, sparkly and glittery shoes ofDorothy from the Wizard of Ozand being told, “Click your heelsthree times, and picture yourhome, sweet home.” What is thatwarm and cozy place that draws upin our minds as we close our eyes?And then we get a sudden urge toblink and escape into the comfortsof a place called Home. Do wepicture a nice cottage-like, 4 bed-room house at the end of a cul-de-sac with a mailbox and a driveway,or is it a mansion that is illumi-nated by the gleaming spectacle ofits foundation made of alternatingbricks of gold and silver in an vast,luscious, green land? If it is theformer instead of the latter, mydear friend, you have chosen tosettle for the short end of the stick.

In order to elaborate on thereason for the promising bargainthat some of us may make, wemust remind ourselves of the storyof our creation. When Allah (swt)created Adam (pbuh), he com-manded him,"And "O Adam, dwell, you andyour wife, in Paradise and eat fromwherever you will ...” (Quran7:19).

From this verse, we realizethat Allah (swt) created Adam andEve (May Allah be pleased withthem both) to be the residents ofParadise, which was their originalabode before they were sent down

to earth. Adam (pbuh)did not have a national-ity associated with anypart of this world; rather,his homeland was Para-dise.

So consider thereality, my friends. Ifwe are the children of

Adam and Eve (pbut), and theywere the dwellers of Paradise, thenwho, from among us, is willing togive up his/her supreme right tocall Paradise his/her eternal homeand final abode for the expense ofa few good memories in thisworld?

Let us remind ourselves ofthe Hadith of Prophet Muhammad(pbuh), on the authority of Abdul-lah ibn Umar (May Allah bepleased with them both), he relatesthat the Prophet (pbuh) once heldmy shoulders and said: “Live inthis world as if you are a wayfareror a stranger.” (Bukhari).

A wayfarer travels in orderto eventually make his way backhome, to his/her final destination;and although, he may utilize thegiven facilities and, at times, befaced with multitudes of obstaclesduring his travel, he should neverlose sight of his mission and theway to his final destination. Weare the fortunate travelers from theUmmah of Prophet Muhammad(pbuh), who says,

“The people of paradiseare divided into 120 rows, 80 rowswill be from this Ummah and 40 ofthem from all of the other nationscombined.” (Tirmidhi).

The Prophet Muhammad(pbuh) tells us in a beautiful hadiththat, “The believers, after beingsaved from hellfire, will bestopped at a bridge between hell-fire and paradise. At this place,mutual retaliation will be estab-

lished among them, regarding thewrongs they have committed in theworld against each other. Afterthey are cleansed, they will be ad-mitted into paradise, and by Himwhose hand Muhammad’s soul isin, every one of them will knowhis dwelling in paradise better thanhe knew his dwelling in this world“(Bukhari). SubhanAllah!

Being the children ofAdam (pbuh), each person willknow precisely where his palaceis, even better than his address inDuniya. Each person will beequipped with a special GPS,which will instinctively guide himto know exactly where he belongsin Paradise. Allah (swt) says,"And those who have believed anddone righteous deeds - We willsurely assign to them of Paradise[elevated] chambers beneath whichrivers flow, wherein they abideeternally. Excellent is the rewardof the [righteous] workers. Whohave been patient and upon theirLord rely.” (Quran, 29:58-59)

As believers, it is our faiththat Allah (swt) will reward eachone of us with lofty mansions be-neath which rivers flow, given thatwe are righteous and perform gooddeeds. On the other hand, if werefuse to abide by the laws of Al-lah (swt) and neglect to acknowl-edge the oneness and supremacy ofAllah (swt), then know that Allah(swt) is just and severe in punish-ment. Ibn Qayyim says that as abeliever, we should be like a birdwith two wings, one wing of hopeand the other wing of fear, witheach of them balanced. If we failto maintain a balance between thetwo, and comfort ourselves solelyfrom hope, then we will surely fallshort in pursuing Paradise. Simi-larly, if we live with excessive fearof Allah (swt) and his punishment,

By Alia Rija Ansari


27

then it is likely that we will giveup the struggle at the expense ofour hopelessness.

My dear friends, this tem-porary world is created as a meansof testing the human beings to seewhich one of us performs the bestdeeds. What awaits us in the here-after is far better and everlasting.The words in our language and thelimited capability of our mindsdoes not give us the ability tofathom any kind of description ofParadise, yet we need to be con-stantly reminded of the hereafterto get a closer understanding of itand create a longing in our heartstowards it.

Imagine standing at theentrance of Paradise as the angelscall upon you from all 8 gates,hoping you would enter Paradisethrough their gate. Consider thehonor that Allah (swt) has givenhis righteous slaves that the angelsare competing for their closeness.SubhanAllah!In order that ourhearts continually long for Jannahand we do not lose focus, we haveverses in the Quran and varioustraditions of the Prophet (pbuh),we learn about the events and pro-visions of Paradise. As you enterthe colossal gates of Paradise, theangels present themselves at yourservice and you are offered mealsand drinks of which, the taste isnothing like what we would havetasted before. As you walk throughParadise, you see a lofty mansion,one on top of another, beneathwhich a river flows, with a brick ofgold and a brick of silver put to-gether with pure musk, gleaming,and displaying the most extraordi-nary architecture which you havenever even imagined before, rightin front of you. As you enter, youare overwhelmed with the mostbeautiful things arranged in such a

peculiarly wonderful way, just asyou like it. You will spend months,even years, admiring the beauty ofyour palace, and feeling the softfabrics and appreciating the beauti-ful colors and the stunning décor.Because there is no time limit inParadise, as it is eternal, a personcan spend years upon years en-grossed in admiring the smallestthings that they come across. Inyour mansions, you will have, atyour service, innumerous youth“Wildaanun Mukhalladoon” -youth that will live for eternity,they never change and they nevergrow in age. Imagine not havingany responsibilities, and your en-tire purpose of being is for pureenjoyment. Once you’ve seenyour entire palace, you will be es-corted to your rivers of water,milk, honey, and wine, respec-tively, and when you taste the con-tents of each river you will be de-lighted by the sweet and extraordi-nary taste of even ordinary drinkslike water.

A person will imagine thatthere is nothing better than this,but one of the most wonderful at-tributes of Paradise is that it keepsgetting better and better. So imag-ine, my dear friends, being able tomeet our most beloved Prophet,Muhammad (pbuh). Imagine sit-ting in his company, and havinghis attention towards us, andspeaking to him about anything wewish until our hearts are content.Imagine asking him about his mi-gration, and Makkah and Madina.SubhanAllah! How about meetingAdam (AS) and asking him aboutthe beginnings of this world whenhe was the first to arrive here! Wecan even ask about dinosaurs.Imagine, meeting Aisha (RA),Khadija (RA), Abu Bakr (RA),Umar (RA), the previous Prophets!

This is Paradise, my friends.When the dwellers of

Paradise would ask: ‘Oh Allahwhat can be more excellent thanthis?’ Allah will say, ‘I shall causemy pleasure to be upon you and Ishall never afterwards be annoyedwith you.’ (Sahih Muslim) Thiswill be a moment when the psy-chological happiness of the peopleof Paradise cannot be described.They would imagine there can benothing better than that...but wait!It gets better…it only gets better…

Allah would lift the veilfrom his face!! And of the thingsgiven to the people of Paradise,NOTHING will be dearer to themthan the sight of Allah (swt), TheMighty and The Glorious. Imag-ine, dear friends, there can benothing that is more pleasing to aslave like the enjoyment and hap-piness of seeing the face of hisRabb. The biggest deprivation ofall for the people of hell is to neverbe able to see the face of theirCreator, Allah (swt).

The people of the higherranks will be able to see their Lordmore than the people of the lowerranks. We pray that Allah grantsall of us high ranks in JannathulFirdaws, aameen. And imagine,after all of this, Allah (swt) asksyou, ‘Say, what do you want O sonof Adam, and I will give it toyou…”

So…Say, O son of Adam,O Ummah of Muhammad (pbuh),What do you want? This tempo-rary world or Home, SweetHome…? May Allah give us theTawfeeq to struggle in the way ofAllah (swt), seeking his pleasureand reward, so that we may be ableto enter this eternal paradise that isever-pleasing and everlasting, withHis Mercy and Blessings. Ameen.


28

Oh Allah, Give Your Blessings Upon Our BelovedProphet (Salla Allahu Alaihi Wasallam)

By “Islamforsalvation”

-The one who distributed edibles among others andwent without meals himself.-The one whose house was simple and modest, builtof clay bricks, palm leaves and trunks, and whosefood was simple, consisting mostly of barley bread.-The one tired and wounded by people of Al-Taif -yet never, did he pray against them.-On a group journey, when one companion volun-teered to sacrifice a lamp, another to skin it, anotherto cook it; the one who volunteered to gather woodfrom desert telling to the companions “I know thatyou are eager to do it all, but Almighty God is notpleased with the slave who distinguishes betweenhimself and his companions, and considers himselfbetter than others.”-When Islam spread far and wide, wealth began toaccumulate; yet this king mended his own shoes,swept the floor and helped his wives in householdchores.-A young man served him for 10 years and not evenonce did the master condemn the young man forsomething he did wrong or failed to do right!-A life filled with care and affection for this Ummah– the one who said “Ummati Ummati, Ummati" " MyPeople, My People, My People" while his soul wasbeing parted from his body.-The religious teacher, social reformer, moral guide,administrative colossus, faithful friend, wonderfulcompanion, devoted husband, and a loving father.-A life so simple and gentle that when he was amongthe people and a newcomer wanted to know abouthim, he had to ask, “Which one of you is theProphet”?

O Allah - Give Your Blessings on Our Be-loved Prophet (SA) and his Family!

We are enjoined to pray to Allah to bestowmore honor and mercy on His Prophet (SA) - an ex-pression of our love for the Prophet (SA), which inturn is an indication of our deep faith in Allah. Theinvocation of Blessings on the Holy Prophet is styledin Arabic as "Salawat", or "salah ala al-nabi", in Per-sian as "Durud", and in Urdu as "Salawat-o-Salaam".

"Allah Almighty says: "Lo! Allah and His angelsshower blessings on the Prophet. O ye who believe!Ask blessings on him and salute him with a worthysalutation." (Surah Al-Ahzab: 56)

Benefits of asking Blessings to Prophet (SAWS)The Prophet (SAW) said: "Whoever prays for

Allah's blessings upon me once, will be blessed for itby Allah ten times." (Muslim 1/288)

"The closest of people to me on the Day ofResurrection will be the ones who invoked blessingson me the most." (At-Tirmidhi )

Ways to tell Blessing upon Prophet (SA)WSThere are numerous ways to tell blessing

upon Prophet(SA). As-Salath ul-Ibrahimiyyah is thesalawaath we recite in our daily prayers.

"Allahumma Salli 'ala- Muhammadin waazwajihi wa dhurriyyatihi kama sal-laita 'ala aliIbrahim; wa barik 'ala Muhammadin wa azwajihi wadhurriyyatihi kamabarakta 'ala ali Ibrahim innakahamidun majid."

Narrated Abu Humaid As-Sa'idi (radiAllahuanhu); The people asked, "O Allah's Apostle! Howshall we (ask Allah to) send blessings on you?" Al-lah's Apostle (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) re-plied,"Say: O Allah! Send Your Mercy on Muham-mad and on his wives and on his offspring, as Yousent Your Mercy on Abraham's family; and sendYour Blessings on Muhammad and on his offspring,as You sent Your Blessings on Abraham's family, forYou are the Most Praiseworthy, the Most Glorious.[Sahih al-Bukhari; Vol 4:#588]

Keeping our lips in constant remembrance andlove for our Prophet (SAWS)

How deep was his (SA) love and concerntowards us? He really cared for our life. And one ofthe ways to show our love to our beloved (SAWS) isto increase our salawath upon him. We can fill ournights and days, our free time and journey time, ourmornings and evenings, with salawath on the Prophet(SA). Let us decide – brothers and sisters - to live a


29

life dedicated to salawath upon the mercy to the man-kind – Prophet Muhammad (sallalahu alaihi wa-salam).

'Allahumma Salli 'ala Muhammad wa ala 'aali Mu-hammad, kama sal-laita 'ala Ibrahima wa 'ala 'aaliIbrahima, innaka Hamidun Majeed. AllahummaBarik 'ala Muhammad wa ala 'aali Muhammadin,kama Barakta ala Ibrahima wa 'ala 'aali Ibrahima,

innaka Hamidun Majeed.“O Allah! Send Your Mercy on Muhammad

and on the family of Muhammad, as You sent YourMercy on Ibrahim and on the family of Ibrahim, forYou are the Most Praise-worthy, the Most Glorious.O Allah! Send Your Blessings on Muhammad andthe family of Muhammad, as You sent your Bless-ings on Ibrahim and on the family of Ibrahim, forYou are the Most Praise-worthy, the Most Glorious.”

And I stand there in ter-ror, oceans of people standingaround me, all in a state of aweand fear. And I never thought thisday would come. I would alwayshear about it and put it behind me.“I have time. I got my degree totake care of, job is draining me off,“oh I cant miss that party.” Moreand more excuses everyday- andnow- I am standing here.-waitingfor my Lord. Yes, “My Lord!”The Lord I disobeyed at each andevery step, thinking that the lifewas just for fun and there was nopurpose; it was for enjoyment andfleeting pleasure. And even if therewas a purpose, I am still veryyoung anyway. My throat is dryingup; fear and terror is taking overme greatly, and here it is what eve-ryone is waiting for!

Ya Allah! May my father,mother, brothers, sisters, childrenand everyone in the whole worldbe sacrificed for you. Its my Rabb,my Creator- and I stand there be-ing a sinful slave. All I can re-member is my laziness and care-lessness- how could I have beenthat neglectful- why didn’t I listento people who were always tryingto guide me to the good. And Ithought they were just foolish peo-ple, wasting my time and theirs-and now- I see those faces around

me; bright and shiny and smiling-expecting all good from theirRabb.

Lo and Behold! Allahreveals His shin! Ya Allah! MyRabb! I want to fall down in su-jood in front of my Creator- hu-miliated, humbled and lowered;but- what’s happening?! I can’t

even move my back; it’s as stiff asa marble slab. What is happeningto me! I want to scream in help-lessness. May I be crushed andturn into dust and fall down in hu-mility in front of my Lord- I amcrying and crying. The whole crea-tion is prostrating to Allah and Istand like an arrogant human deny-ing the superiority of my Rabb. Iwant to cry but my throat is chok-ing! And some words start echoingin my ears: The Day that the shinshall be laid bare, to prostrate, butthey shall not be able. Their eyeswill be cast down, ignominy will

cover them; seeing that they hadbeen summoned aforetime to bowin adoration, while they werewhole (and had refused). (Surah Al-Qalam: 42-43)

I used to read the words ofAllah but never paid attention toit.. These words were just wordsfor me. I was called to bow downin front of my Lord five times aday and I ignored the call. Everytime I would hear the azhan andturn a deaf ear to it- and now- nowI am here! Humiliated, hated,cursed-and now I know my abode.No! It can’t be true! It can’t behappening! Now I am remember-ing more and more.“Except the Companions of theRight Hand. (They will be) in Gar-dens (of Delight); they will ques-tion each other. And (ask) of theSinners: "What led you into Hell-Fire?" They will say: "We werenot of those who prayed" (Surah Al- Muddathir: 39-42)

No, ya Allah! .I want to beyour obedient slave, I want to beamong those who you becamepleased with. I just stand there,waiting- to be sent to my finalabode. I know it has been too late,and I have lost all that could availme. I am left with nothing but mysins– still hoping for The Mercy ofMy Rabb– I wait and wait....

Balance Your Hope of Allah’s Mercy With This FearBy Mansoor Aleem

"What led youinto Hell-Fire?"

They will say: "Wewere not of those

who prayed"


30

Know Your Lord, Al-Jabbaar By Alaa Sulaiman

Al-Jabbaar comes from the three letter root wordJa-ba-ra. Jabara is understood by examples: He (abone-setter) set his arm, or reduced it from a frac-tured state. He restored a man from a state of povertyto wealth, or competence or sufficiency; or He bene-fited a poor man. The former meaning is the moreappropriate explanation: The poor man being likenedto one who has a broken bone, and his restoration towealth, or competence, being likened to the setting ofthe bone; Wherefore he is called “faqeer” as thoughthe vertebrae of his back was broken.

Al-Jabbaar means the “One who subdues wrongand restores right” (M. Asad); “The Irresisti-ble” (Yusuf Ali). Jabbaar also means “The one whomagnifies himself”.

The name Al-Jabbaar appeared once in theQuraan: Surah Al-Hashr Verse 23:

He is Allah, than whom there is no other God, theSovereign Lord the Holy One, Peace, the Keeper ofFaith, the Guardian, the Majestic, the compeller, theSuperb. Glorified be Allah from all that they ascribe

as partner (unto Him)

In that verse, Allah (SWT) is glorifying Himself

by mentioning His names and Attributes. He de-scribes himself with all these names that exemplifyHis eternal characteristics which shows and provesHis existence and His right to be worshipped alone(not to associate partners with Him). When Al-Jabbaar is put together with “Al-Mutakabir” (TheSupreme) it brings out a third meaning that it is be-cause of Allah’s supreme’s status, He’s able to com-pel everything from His creation.

When one hears the name “Al-Jabbaar”, the firstfew meanings that come to mind are: power, strengthetc. Al-Jabbaar is indeed the one who is all powerfuland in full control of everything. But Al-Jabbaar isalso the one who takes revenge from Al-Jababirah/Al-Zalimeen (the Oppressors). He’s the one who healsthe wounds for those who are injured or hurt(physically or emotionally): the orphans, the op-pressed and the weak. When a creation is beingtreated unfairly and they have no power to take theirrights back, they turn to Al-Jabbaar who will healtheir wound and get them their rights back at thesame time. That is why Al-Jabbaar is such a deepname since it illustrates two meanings that are oppo-site to each other (one who is just and powerful andat the same time, the one who is there for the weakand the oppressed). This indeed proves how AllahSubhanahu wa tha’ala is perfect in His names andattributes.

Comic Relief: From The Fatawa ofSheikh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-Uthaimeen, rahimahUllah:

Questioner: Is it allowed for a man to be with his female servant, and what can see of her?

Answer: If he marries her, then she can uncover her face in front of him, and this is the solution....But I am afraid that if she becomes his wife, she will demand a female servant, and then this willbe a problem!

Questioner: Is it allowed for me to buy a rooster so that when it crows, I ask Allah of His bounty?

Answer: I don't know about this! It's ordained for a person that when he hears the crowing of arooster that he ask Allah of His bounty, but I am afraid that your rooster will be silent! Alham-dulillah, you ask Allah for His bounty if you hear the rooster or not! Ask of His bounty always.

“Share The Khayr” (As Sh Yasir Birjas would say):Want to see your articles/ poems etc. in Our Magazine?Want to advertise your businesses or organizations?Like to Design the Front Cover for us?Would like to donate for the growth and more outreach of Al-Hadiyah?

Email us at [email protected] to http://www.qabeelathaadi.org/alhadiyah to access an e-

copy of Al-Hadiyah

Turkish Rose

Sherbet Recipe

4 fragrant petals of a leafyRose, red or pink3-4 tbsp sugar, you can addmore if you prefer it sweeeter1 cup water1 tsp lemon juice

Place rose petals and sugar ina medium sized bowl. Crushthe petals with the sugar usingyour hand until the petalsbreak down very well. Addlemon juice and water. Stiruntil the sugar dissolves.

Cover the bowl and leave inthe fridge* for at least 4-5hours. Drain using a strainerover a bowl. Serve with icecubes.

* I prefer to leave this drink inthe fridge over night. Thetaste and colour are muchbetter in this way.[taken fromTurkishcookbook.com]

http://www.qabeelathaadi.org/wpsite/

Attn Dads:

Do you come home exhausted afterwork? Do you lack the time to focus onyour vitality?

If that describes you, then this may bethe most important letter you will everread:

http://gutchecksv.com

Become part of a culture and systemthat transforms fat, exhausted, time-starved Silicon Valley Dads into athletic“beasts” in only 2 hours a week.

http://gutchecksv.com

Zabihah Hormone Free

Beef & Chicken

Top Deck Deli Café2503 Scott Blvd,Santa ClaraPh. 408-727-3300

Website: www.topdeckdeli.comReviews: zabihah.com

Are you throwing away your hard earned money at Kinko’s /OfficeMax / Office Depot / Staples?

You don’t have to!Call us and we will do our best to save you money!!!

Print Services:Thermography PrintingBusiness Cards Invitation Cards

Digital / Offset Printing

Wide Format Printing

Flyers

Brochures

Postcards

Posters BannersDisplays Vehicle Graphics

Booklets

Other Services:Live Scan Finger PrintingComputer RepairBulk Mail Mail MergingLamination Book BindingNotary ShreddingContact info:[email protected](510) 364-9610

By the way, we are proud that we could print this Newsletter for Qabeelat Haadi!!!

IntroducingPlastic

Business Cards

Date post:	11-Mar-2016
Category:	Documents
Upload:	fathimah-zainulabideen
View:	222 times
Download:	1 times

Issue 1

Documents