Alhamdullilah, Ya Rab!

Bismillah ir Rahman nir Raheem.


I used to be a mess.
I used to be ignorant.
I used to call myself a "Muslim" but I never knew the definition of it.
I never knew the beauty of Islam. I never knew Allah.
I never used to love Allah but Allah never stopped loving me.
I never used to praise Allah yet he still fed me, kept a shelter over my head, always surrounded me with blessings after blessings.
I never used to remember Allah but everyday he remembered me by giving me more time to change.


I used to never pray.
It was a big thing if I picked up the Quran after months, even years.
I seldom used to fast.
I used to be a slave to my desires.
I used to be a slave to the dunya.
I used to go right if it was "in" to go right.
I used to go left if it was "in" to go left.
I used to just want to please the creation
I used to just wanna be accepted by the creation
But I never used to think who created that creation that I was so adamant to please.
So why wasn't I pleasing him first?


I used to be the worst of the worst to my parents.
I used to argue, I used to bicker, I used to yell.
I never tried to understand the person who bore me through pain and hardships for nine months.
I never tried to understand the person that supported me financially so that I slept soundly under a roof.
But worst of all, I never tried to understand the only diety, the only creator of all.


I used to search endlessly for happiness.
I used to look for it in friends that ended up leaving me several months later.
I used to look for it in sweet talk that became poison soon after.
I used to look for it in music, in movies, in the dunya.
I was always in a state of unease, in a state of restlessness, in a state of discomfort.
Little did I know, that happiness, eternal bliss, lies in Jannah not the dunya.

I used to be scared of the idea of hijab.

I used to fear people's reaction and words.

I used to be a showpiece; I used to not understand modesty.

But, yet, Allah's mercy opened the idea of hijab to me.

Allah gave me the strength, Allah gave me the ability, Allah gave me the courage.

I used to be all this but still Allah never gave up on me.
Allah opened up doors of mercy from places that I never knew.
Allah opened opportunities for knowledge that I never expected.
Allah softened my heart to his message, to his deen, to his book.
Allah's mercy reached me through my depths of sin and he blessed with the knowledge of his Deen.
And through that knowledge, my life was changed forever.


With that change came strength.
With that change came the consciousness of prayer, of Quran, of Saum, of Islam.
With that change came iman, came taqwa, came tawakkul.
With that came came hijab, came modesty, came humbleness.
With that change, came love for my parents.
With that change, the fights ended, the arguments died down, the pain stopped.
With that change, I learned to stop crying over dunya matters but instead crying for Jannah, for Allah's mercy, and Allah's forgiveness.
With that change, came satisfaction and content in every state!
Through Allah came comfort, came ease, came stability, came patience, and came happiness.


Today, I laid in my mother's arms and had almost an hour long, conversation.
By the end it struck me how a year ago, even a couple months ago, this would be unimaginable to me.
It made me realize how far Allah has brought me- from the depths of my sins to the beauty of iman.
Alhamdulillah, Alhamdulillah, Alhamdullilah!


Ya Rab, I cannot thank you enough, Ya Rab, you are the most merciful, the most gracious.
Ya Rab, I am nothing but flesh and bones made from clay but You are the creator of all things.
Ya Rab, Alahmdullilah for never giving up on me, Praise be to you alone who has allowed me to come this far.
Ya Rab, I am ashamed. Ya Rab, forgive me for my sins.
Ya Rab, shed your mercy on me, on us, on the Day of Judgment.
Ya Rab, bless us all with understanding of deen, with knowledge, and keep our hearts humbled and strong in your faith.
Ya Rab, make our good deeds heavy on the scale.
Ya Rab, keep us all on as-Sirat al Mustakeem!
Ya Rab, bless us with Jannat al-Firdaus and keep us far from the hell fire!
Ya Rab, forgive us all for all faults and short comings and keep us occupied in your remembrance.
Ya Rab, give us sabr to get through this temporary dunya, and inshAllah allow us to be in your shade in the hereafter!
Ameen!

Abu Dharr Ghifari related that Rasulullah (saws) said: Allah, who is Lord of Glory says: “The person who does one good deed shall be given ten rewards, or even more. The person who does one evil deed shall be given only one punishment, or I shall forgive him. When someone comes a hand’s width closer to Me, I come an arm’s length closer to him. When someone comes an arm’s length closer to Me, I come two arms’ length closer to him. When someone comes towards Me walking, I come to him running. And when someone comes to Me with as many sins as the whole world could contain, I come to him with as much forgiveness as that.” [Muslim]

-Razz :)

Hardships

Bismillah ir Rahman nir Raheem

Story of Al-Khidr and Prophet Musa (pbuh): Surah Al-Kahf, Ayahs 65-82

“Be sure We shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil); but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere. (2:155)”

“On no soul doth Allah place a burden greater than it can bear. (2:286)”

"Do men think that they will be left alone on saying “We believe” and that they will not be tested?" (29:2)

"No calamity befalls a Muslim but that Allah expiates some of his sins because of it, even though it were the prick he receives from a thorn." (Bukhari)

"By the morning hours, and by the night when it is stillest, Your Lord has not forsake you nor does He hate you, And truly what comes after will be better for you than what has come before, And truly your Lord will give to you so that you will be content. Did he not find you an orphan and protect you? Did he not find you wandering and guide you? Did he not find you destitute and enrich you? So do not oppress the orphan, And do not drive the beggar away, And speak about the blessings of Your Lord." (Quran, 93)

Prophet Mohammad said: “If any Muslim who suffers some calamity says that which Allah has commanded him: “ ‘We belong to Allah and to Him shall we return’: O Allah, reward me for my affliction and give me something better in exchange for it”, Allah will give him something better than it in exchange.” (Muslim)

Patience: "Anas ibn Malik related that Rasulullah (saws) said: Real patience comes at the first stroke of calamity." [Bukhari]

"So, verily, with every difficulty, there is relief" (Surah Ash-Sharh, Ayah 5)

Jazakallahkhair!

-Razz :)

Allah closes the door on no one, you close the door on Allah

Salam (:

.....

There was this girl freshman year of high school.
I "hated" her!
Why?
Because she wasn't becoming of a Muslim woman, I just closed the door on her and basically judged her as being on of the "lost ones". I never took the time to go and talk to her about her actions; to be honest, I avoided her at any cost. Because back then, I was for sure that when you dropped your values as a muslim, you were done. There was no rewind, your done. The door was shut.

BUT OF COURSE, I was wrong.

Anyone can change.
This girl is now one of the strongest Muslimahs I know of, alhumduiallah (:
but it was not me who created this change, it was someone with an open mind who knew that only Allah could determine whether this girl had the ability to change but it is was our duty as Muslims to spread the deen.

As Muslims, we can not close the door on anyone.
Did you know that many reverts find Islam in prison?
The whole element of prison opens the doors to pure thought.
I mean, all you can do is think, read, and workout.
Now when these guys get out of prison, should we shun them from the past? should we consider them less of a muslim?
NO.

Only ALLAH has the right to judge, and only Allah knows the true intentions of this person and the consequences of their actions. BUT what we do know as Muslims is that it is our duty to spread the word of Islam.

But one this to keep in mind is that there are people that will never listen which is expressed clearly in Surah Al-Kafirun and many other surahs: 

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

Say: Oh you who turn away

I do not worship what you worship,

nor do you worship what I worship.

And I will not worship what you worship,

Nor will you worship what I worship.

Your way is yours, and my way is mine."

This surah doe not tell us to shun any person who is not on the same path, but to simply acknowledge the fact that there are some who just wont believe.

WHY DO YOU CARE? 
Spread the word of your Lord, near and far, high and low. There will be many who will reject you, but amongst all of the people who do, there will be one or many who will listen, inshalla. and this is the beauty of Islam. As the fastest growing religion, alhumduiallah, there is someone listening.

Also, as muslims we need to know to be open-minded. I really dont care how open minded you proclaim you are, show this through your actions. If you are closing yourself to anyone with a lesser Iman than you, who will listen?

There is a short little video with this blog -------> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmnwv9IZACs


Salam (:
-jazz

The Five Pillars of Islam

The Five Pillars of Islam
or
The Foundation of Islam

1. Shahada- the decleration that you believe in God and Muhammed in the messenger 

 This statement makes you a muslim, a believer in God, Allah
شهد أن لا إله إلاَّ الله و أشهد أن محمد رسول الله

Esh-Hadu Ina La E-LaHa illa Allah wa Esh-Hadu Ina Mohammad Rasoul Allah
"I bear witness that there is no deity (none truely to be worshipped) but, Allah, and I bear witness that Mohammad is the messenger of Allah"



2. Salat-Prayer

 As a Muslim you are mandated to pray five times a day but you are alotted to pray whenever you want.

The five prayers are:
-Fajr: Before sunrise
-Zhur(Dhur): Afternoon prayer
-Asr: Afternoon prayer
-Maghrib: evening pray
-Isha: night prayer 

3. Zakat- Charity 

As muslims we must give charity every year which is 2.5% of your annual income. 

The Prophet said: "Charity is a necessity for every Muslim. ' He was asked: 'What if a person has nothing?' The Prophet replied: 'He should work with his own hands for his benefit and then give something out of such earnings in charity.' The Companions asked: 'What if he is not able to work?' The Prophet said: 'He should help poor and needy persons.' The Companions further asked 'What if he cannot do even that?' The Prophet said 'He should urge others to do good.' The Companions said 'What if he lacks that also?' The Prophet said 'He should check himself from doing evil. That is also charity."

4. Saum-Fasting

As muslims we are told to fast during the month of Ramadan. This act in itself builds taqwa, God consiouness. During the month of Ramadan, a muslim will fast for approxamentaly 30 days. A fast is begun before fajr with a meal and concluded at maghrib with another meal.

5. Hajj- pilgramage to mecca 

Hajj is (simply) a pilgramage to mecca that is obligatory. 
*this pillar will be exaplined more in a future blog, inshalla. 

[22:27.8] "And proclaim that the people shall observe Hajj pilgrimage. They will come to you walking or riding on various exhausted (means of transportation). They will come from the farthest locations."


WHY DO YOU CARE? 
For muslims, this was a recap of what we believe. I know you probably have heard this trillions of times but could it hurt to hear it again? 


As for everyone else, this is the basis of Islam, the foundation. The first bite of the cookie (: 
In order to build your knowledge of this religion, you must start at ground level and work your way up. 

 

Thank you for reading and watching inshalla.

until next time, inshalla

-jazz (:


 

Diagnosis: Riyaa'

Bismillah ir Rahman nir Raheem

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

Assalamalaikum wa Rehmatullahi wa Barakatuh!

This topic of Riyaa’ is based off of AbdulRehman Murphy’s conference call by the Lone Star council and this blog is basically notes of what he discussed. May Allah bless him and his family with the highest level of Jannah for his efforts!

Riyaa’ is a term that I had, personally, never heard of before so it was very enlightening and is of great importance. Brother Murphy went through this topic, treating it like a condition, with symptoms and possible way to treat it, tips, causes, etc. so our notes will be presented in that way as well.

What is Riyaa’?

We may all have been to the doctor’s office whether for a simple cold or something worse and may have heard that doctor pull all these crazy medical terms and words on us. You, probably like me, were sitting there like -_- uh, say what? This issue of Riyaa’ may be just like that for some of us who have never heard the term before. For this reason, we’re gonna start off with what exactly Riyaa’ is.

Definition of Riyaa’: any action that is meant for Allah but the intention gets swayed and begins to be for the purpose of showing off. It is hidden shirk, and the word shirk enough should convey the severity of it! [Another definition is any external action that is better than the internal intention and is basically done to please people or to show off.]

Who may be affected by Riyaa’?

ANYONE & EVERYONE! Riyaa’ can attack anyone but it is something that is especially dangerous to the activists and speakers. It can affect those of us that are active in our MSA’s or actively involved in our communities.

Many of us, like myself, may notice how when we first become close to our Deen our sincerity seemed to be much stronger. I remember when I first turned my life around and became familiar with the beauty of Islam and changed my old ways, my absolute concentration and dedication was towards aligning myself Islamically; my concentration was not on other people or to please other people. As time went on and I learned more about Islam, began to wear the hijab, became closer to the Quran, I noticed how keeping my intentions aligned and pure became a challenging task sometimes—this may be true for many of us. After some time passes, and we try to increase our deeds in both quality and quantity, Shaitan sees how we are trying to do more than when we initially started and he sees us as a budding enemy, so he plants the seeds of Riyaa’ within us. Our job, thus, is to find our exactly what this is, how to find out if we are falling in that trap and save our self from the dangers that come with Riyaa’.

Why is this disease so dangerous?

Riyaa’ is something that can bankrupt all your good deeds. You’re probably like kjdhgfdg SAY WHAT?! Yes, it’s true which is why understanding it is so important.

One hadith that really paints this picture of deeds being bankrupt is the following:

“Thawbaan narrated that the Prophet said: "Indeed I know a type of people from my nation who would come on the Day of Judgment with good deeds as big as the mountains of Tihaamah, pure, but Allah will turn them into scattered dust." Thawbaan asked in fear: "O Prophet of Allah! Describe them to us, we fear to be amongst them while we do not know." Thereupon, the Prophet said: "Indeed they are your brothers, and they perform acts of worship by night [prayers] in the same way you do, but when they are alone, they transgress the Limits of Allah."”

As you can see, if we act a certain way in front of people or do certain deeds in public only but behind the curtain of our homes, we are completely different, then all our efforts, our mountain of good deeds, will be blown to away to dust on the Day of Judgment. All the time we spent in this world doing those deeds, thinking that oh yeah, hopefully this will save me on the Day of Judgment, all the good work we did, all the effort we put in, will equate to nothing if our intention is not to please Allah. Riyaa’ can bankrupt all our good deeds! Bithnillah, what a scary, shuddering thought! Can you even imagine having your entire deeds blow away and you’re standing there with nothing? May Allah all help us and save us from this disease and allow us to set our intentions for him alone!

Our every intention must be for Allah. A great tip to work on this is when you do an action, link it back to Allah. For example, when you go to work out, ask yourself why am I doing this? You may think, to look good or to stay healthy. Now keep going until you link it to Allah, don’t just stop at the first step! You are trying to stay healthy so you can maintain your salah or fast the entire month of Ramadan, which pleases ALLAH. See, just by keeping it going, you have reached the final link to Allah, and thus set that intention of doing that action for Allah. Our goal should be to decrease the amount of links that it takes us to get to Allah, and so the smaller the chain is the better the action is!

Symptoms of Riyaa’

Some signs and indication that you may be affected by Riyaa’ are the following:

§  >A person who is partaking in Riyaa may be obsessed with doing righteous deeds in public but at home, they don’t have the same quality in deeds.

§  >A person absolutely loves when they are praised, but hates it when they are criticized. You marvel when someone says good things about you, but then when someone gives you advice or corrects you, you get upset.

§  >A person who gives up doing good deeds for the sake of not showing off. This may sound weird at first but this is the reverse of Riyaa’ but is actually considered to be Riyaa’ because you are refraining from good deeds because of people. A person is showing off by not showing off. Don’t refrain from doing good deeds; just make sure your intentions are for Allah, alone!

§  >When you’re in public, you try to act all righteous and say pious things, but behind the public scene your manners are vulgar and your actions are evil.

§  >When pleasing people becomes more important than pleasing Allah.

All of us, including and especially myself, must do a self-analysis every so often to see if we are falling into any of these categories or displaying any of these symptoms. 

Causes of Riyaa’

The following are some of the reasons why one may partake in Riyaa’:

§  >The temporary sense of perfection when you do some action and it pleases people.  At that moment, you may think, “man I’m awesome” or “I’m legit”. It’s a moment where your inner being (your Id) seeks to have perfection.

§  >You’re someone that gets praised a lot. This is a continuation from the first bullet in which when you get praised often, you have that temporary sense of perfection. When this does happen, you can do one of two things: You can either shove the compliment back in their face or redirect that praise to Allah, whom all praise belongs! The first case really devalues the praise-giver’s voice so we should try and go with the second option in which we redirect the praise that is given to us, to Allah!

§  >Another cause of Riyaa is the trap of desiring or valuing the praise/love of the creation. We should not seek the praise of Allah’s creation but instead seek the love of the creation’s creator, Allah, the All mighty!

We should all understand the causes and the signs to identify whether this seed of Riyaa’ is growing within us or not. We should strive to be of the people that seek the love of Allah, alone! Allah judges by intention so it is very important to conquer this and set our intentions straight. Riyaa’ isn’t a light switch that just with the flip of a switch it turns on or off. It is a constant struggle and a constant battle like eeman and a lot of other things. Riyaa’ is a dimmer, in which sometimes we are stronger and are able to ward it off and sometimes we are weaker and let it affect us. It is constant struggle with our self to stay in shape and keep our intentions pure and far from Riyaa’.

Cures and Solutions to Riyaa’

§  >First and foremost, ask for Allah’s help in saving you from falling into the traps of Riyaa’. 

§  >Establish your niyyah. If you are doing it for Allah, say it in your head or say it outloud to yourself that “This is for Allah”.

§  >Do good deeds in private where no one can find out or places where no one can see. This will give you something to poke back at Shaitan because you’re doing good deeds not just in public, but in private when no one is watching.

§  >Remember that everyone deals with this. Don’t think that you’re isolated. Everyone struggles and the closer that you come towards Allah, the harder the struggle may become.

§  >Whenever you get some praise, redirect that praise to Allah.

§  >Whenever you find yourself getting caught up in Riyaa’ or in the temporary moment of pride, zone out and remember that we are just a clump of dirt, created by Allah.

§  >Surround yourself with good moderate people-not too critical and not too praiseworthy.

§  >Do not get caught up in judging others because that can give one a sense of “I’m better than so and so”. A good way to prevent this is to write down or make a list of one’s own flaws and the other person’s good qualities. Also, always assume the best and give your fellow brothers or sisters the benefit of the doubt.

§  >Whenever you feel yourself transitioning to Riyaa, reset your intention. Whenever you are at an event or giving a speech or whatever reset your intentions 3 times. Before the event, ask yourself who am I doing this for? Do the same thing in the middle of the event and after the event. It is difficult to do an act with a strong intention, 100%, throughout an event but always keep asking yourself and resetting your intentions for Allah, alone.

At this point, inshAllah you have gained a greater understanding of Riyaa’ and all the different causes, symptoms, and cures. Let’s all now do a self-analysis and see if we are one of those that partake in Riyaa’ and if so what can we do to stop this?

We thank AbdulRehman Murphy for this extremely insightful talk about such an important matter, May Allah bless him for his efforts! May Allah also keep us away from such a dangerous thing, which has the potential to bankrupt our deeds! May Allah help us and guide us and allow us to set our every intention for him alone! He is the one that deserves all our praise, we are nothing more than flesh made from clay, He is the creator, the All-mighty, the all knowing. Ya Allah, you are perfect and we are not perfect, so please forgive us for our sins and turn our hearts towards obedience! Ameen! 

Jazakallah!

-Razz :) 

Salah tul Istikhara: The Guidance Prayer :)

Bismillah ir Rahman nir Raheem.

Assalamalaikum wa rehamtullahi wa barakatuh!

"Istikhara (Arabic) means to ask Allah to guide one to the right thing concerning any affair in one’s life, especially when one has to choose between two permissible alternatives, e.g. a career choice, getting married, etc." It is a Sunnah prayer in which one asks Allah for guidance is any matter. The matter does not necessarily have to be a life-changing situation, in fact it can be anything from which college may be best for you to or some decision regarding a project, something big or something small. We are constantly faced with decisions and this prayer, this dua, is a very powerful tool that many neglect and abandon. We should always seek Allah's guidance and this is a great way to do it! 

Preparation: Perform Ablution, face the Qibla, and:

Method: Pray two Ra’kah nafl prayer. After performing these two ra’kah’s, praise Allah and recite salutations such as Durood upon the Prophet (pbuh). Then, recite this Dua:

Dua:

On the authority of Jaabir Ibn ˜Abdullah he said: The Prophet (S) would instruct us to pray for guidance in all of our concerns, just as he would teach us a chapter from the Qur'an. He (S) would say "if any of you intends to undertake a mater then let him pray two supererogatory units (two rak'ah naafilah) of prayer and after which he should supplicate:

"‘Allahumma inni astakhiruka bi’ilmika, Wa astaqdiruka bi-qudratika, Wa asaluka min fadlika al-’azim Fa-innaka taqdiru Wala aqdiru, Wa ta’lamu Wala a’lamu, Wa anta ‘allamu l-ghuyub. Allahumma, in kunta ta’lam anna hadha-l-amra Khairun li fi dini wa ma’ashi wa’aqibati amri (or ‘ajili amri wa’ajilihi) Faqdirhu li wa yas-sirhu li thumma barik li Fihi, Wa in kunta ta’lamu anna hadha-lamra shar-run li fi dini wa ma’ashi wa’aqibati amri (or fi’ajili amri wa ajilihi) Fasrifhu anni was-rifni anhu. Waqdir li al- khaira haithu kana Thumma ardini bihi"

Translation: 

["O Allah! I seek goodness from Your Knowledge and with Your Power (and Might) I seek strength, and I ask from You Your Great Blessings, because You have the Power and I do not have the power. You Know everything and I do not know, and You have knowledge of the unseen. Oh Allah! If in Your Knowledge this action ------------------------------------------------ (which I intend to do) is better for my religion and faith, for my life and end [death], for here [in this world] and the hereafter then make it destined for me and make it easy for me and then add blessings [baraka'] in it, for me. O Allah! In Your Knowledge if this action is bad for me, bad for my religion and faith, for my life and end [death], for here [in this world] and the hereafter then turn it away from me and turn me away from it and whatever is better for me, ordain [destine] that for me and then make me satisfied with it."]

After: Once reciting this dua with sincere intentions, praise Allah and send more Daroord or salutations upon the Prophet (pbuh). You may not receive the answer at once, and you may pray Istikhara again. There is really no limit to the amount of times one may pray Istikhara according to the Fiqh-us-Sunnah. After performing the supplications above, it is recommended to sleep in the state of ablution.

Answer: The answer to your prayer may or may not come in the form of a dream. If the latter occurs, it does not mean that the Istikhara "didn't work". Sometimes you will notice events unfolding before your eyes that will lead you into the direction of what Allah wills and what is best for you. The whole importance of Istikhara is leaving the matter up to Allah and putting your faith and trust in Allah, in that whatever events unfold or whatever happens, we must be satisfied and content with what Allah has chosen for us. The outcome may not always be the one that we it to be, or one that seems to be right at the time, but you must remember that Allah is all knowing, Most gracious and Most merciful. 

"And it may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you and that you like a thing which is bad for you. Allah knows but you do not know" ( 2:216)

Jazakallahkhair!

-Razz :) 

Questions? Confusion? Get up!

Assalamalaikum wa Rehmatullahi wa Baraktuh!

Recently, I was faced with some iffy situations, in which I was unsure of whether what I was partaking in was Islamic or unislamic, Bid'ah or Sunnah? Of course the two main sources of guidance are the Quran and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) but I've noticed how today many people have misinterpreted hadiths, misinterpreted the Quran, or even fabricated hadith (Audhubillah!- 'I seek refuge in Allah from evil') and have used them to justify some cultural practices or rituals. This is a very important issue because innovations lead to diversion from religion. 

"Jabir related that Rasulullah (saws) said: The best statement if the Book of Allah, and the best example is the example of Muhammad (saws). The worst of all actions is to introduce new things into this religion, since every innovation is misguidance. (Muslim)"

As you can see above from the Sahih hadith, innovaton is the "worst of all actions". Thus we need to understand how to differentiate facts from myths and when in doubt or when in need of clarification of a text or to understand the right interpretation of it, we cannot just go on believing as we see fit. We have to see the answers or guidance from the people who have dedicated their whole lives to understanding the Book of Allah, understanding the Science of Hadith, the Islamic scholars, and if what they say correlates with the Quran and the Sunnah, then that is the solution. We cannot go on interpreting or spreading things that we "THINK" are right and when in need of an answer we must go to the right sources, the Quran and Hadith, and if we need further clarification or answer about a specific issue, we go to the scholars, whom Allah has blessed with the gift of Islamic knowledge. 

Here, I will present a few links that have been very beneficial to me and will help you out as well, bi'ithnillah: 

>http://quran.com/ or http://www.allahsquran.com/learn/
Of course the first source of information, the direct word and revelation from Allah is the Book of Allah, the Quran. If you do not have access to a hard copy, here are two amazing links to an online Quran with translation. 


>http://www.usc.edu/schools/college/crcc/engagement/resources/texts/muslim/search.html
This is a link to a Hadith database with complete compilations of both Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim and more. You can also search up any Hadith by typing in a keyword and inshAllah, this is a very beneficial way to seek knowledge form accurate compilations of Hadith. We may have heard people say "such and such" yeah i read it in a Hadith, but if sounds unfamiliar, go check it for yourself in this database. InshAllah, may Allah help us all in seeking the right knowledge, and then implementing it! Many hadiths have also been compiled through authors in book forms. Those may also be beneficial, just check the author's credentials!

>http://www.amjaonline.com
This is the website to the Assembly of Muslim Jurists in America, and they are classified individuals who all have Ph.D.'s in Islamic Shari'ah. They are the Islamic scholars who have set up this website where anyone can send in their questions and they will pass fatwas regarding your specific questions. There is also information about the Fatwa hotline in which you can directly call them regarding your specific question. If you are ever unclear on a matter or need advise on a specific issue first of all seek Allah's help and then do not let the doubts or question manifest in your mind, contact these qualified scholars so they can help you in your specific case.

>Your local Sheikh or Imam may also be great sources of clarification and help. If you have any questions, go pay them a visit after Salah at your local masjid and inshAllah, they can help you it.

Allah, has provided us all sorts of means and opportunities through which we can seek accurate and beneficial information, Alhamdulillah, so let's not sit there and drown in our questions, queries, or doubts. Get up and seek help from the various means that Allah has created for you, inshAllah!

"Abu Hurairah reported that Rasulullah (saws) said: For him who follows a path for seeking knowledge, Allah will ease for him the path to Paradise. (Muslim)"

Jazakallahkhair!

-Razz

Dreams :) :)

Salam :)

An explanation of dreams, islamic style :) :)

WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU? 

Everyone has most likely come in contact with one of those crazy dream books but what does Allah (God) say about your dreams? When you dream about falling off a bridge, does this mean you are going to die? NO. 

-jazz (:

The College Life & Islam

Assalamalaikum wa Rehmatullahi was Barakatuh!

Jazakallah! :)

Daily Quran Verses: Surah Ad-Duhaa

Assalamalaikum wa Rehmatullahi wa Barakatuh! 

Surah Ad-Duhaa is the 93rd surah of the Quran. It was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) during a time of great struggle, after his wife Khadija died. It is a Surah full of hope and a great reminder when we feel like we have hit rock bottom. When we are surrounded with hardships, let's remember that this life is nothing, and in the Hereafter, there is no despair, only everlasting bliss. This Surah is one of the greatest pick-me-ups, and it's especially beneficial to read and to remind yourself of Allah's blessing when you feel distraught or in despair. 

In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate

"By the morning hours, and by the night when it is stillest, Your Lord has not forsake you nor does He hate you, And truly what comes after will be better for you than what has come before, And truly your Lord will give to you so that you will be content. Did he not find you an orphan and protect you? Did he not find you wandering and guide you? Did he not find you destitute and enrich you? So do not oppress the orphan, And do not drive the beggar away, And speak about the blessings of Your Lord." (Quran 93:1-11)

Jazakallahkhair! 

-Razz

The Shaded Seven

Assalamalaikum wa Rehmatullahi wa Barakatuh!

Alhamdullilah, We’ve reached another Friday with Allah’s mercy and grace. Yay :)

I absolutely love Friday’s!! :) I love the excitement in dressing nice, going to Jummah for my Lord, the weekend, going home to see my family, reading Surah Al-Kahf, and the extra blessings and happiness that Fridays seem to bring. Alhamdullilah! Greatest day of the week!

Anyways, today’s khutbah was by Dr. Amer Kaissi, inspired by a khutbah he had attended last week by Sheikh Aziz. The topic of the khutbah was a hadith, discussing the seven people that will be shaded by Allah’s mercy on the Day of Judgment.

The Prophet(SAW) said: “There are seven whom Allah will shade in His Shade on the Day when there is no shade except His Shade: a just ruler; a youth who grew up in the worship of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic; a man whose heart is attached to the mosques;; a man who is called by a woman of beauty and position [for illegal intercourse], but he says: ‘I fear Allah’, a man who gives in charity and hides it, such that his left hand does not know what his right hand gives in charity; and a man who remembered Allah in private and so his eyes shed tears.” (Bukhari & Muslim)

In this hadith, seven people are mentioned that will be shaded:

1.     A just ruler

2.     A youth that grew up in worship of Allah

3.     A man whose heart was attached to the mosque

4.     Two men who love each other for Allah’s sake, meeting for that and parting upon that

5.     A man who is called by a woman but he says he fears Allah

6.     A man who gives charity so that his left does not know what his right hand gives

7.     A man who remembers Allah, privately, and sheds tears.

*It should be noted that that even though the term “man” is used, in Arabic the term applies to both women and men.

On the Day of Judgment, the distance between the sun and Earth will simply be 1, yes ONE, mile away. Can you imagine that?!! Currently the distance between Earth and the sun is about 93 million miles away and on that it will just 1. Try to picture a super hot summer day, especially for the hijabi’s, we can really feel the heat around mid-summer, some of us don’t even want to leave our houses! On that day, Allah will be angrier than ever before and his mercy will be greater than ever as well. Imagine being outside in the mid-summer or picture a desert and you’re standing there in a heavy trench coat or a super hot wool sweater but some people will be in the shade, air-conditioned, and cool. Wouldn’t you want to be one of those that are shaded? This is just a scenario and the real day will be much extreme and greater than any example one could give. Dr. Kaissi also described how on that day, people will be drenched in their sweat depending on their deeds. Some will be in their sweat up to their ankles where as others will have to close their mouth because their sweat will be up to that level. What a picture this paints in our minds. Ya Allah, please save us from such a thing and make us among the seven that you will shade with your grace!

The Seven categories of people explained:

1. A just ruler

            -When we think of ruler, we tend to think of presidents, politicians, or you know major figures, but any one of can be a ruler. Sheikhs are spiritual rulers; any of us can be leaders whether it is at school in a club like MSA or among our families and such.

2. A youth that grew up in worship of Allah

            -It cannot be emphasized how important it is to grow up on the right path in our youth. We are constantly surrounded by temptations, especially at school or work, and to overcome these temptations and stay guided on the path towards Allah is very rewarding.

            -Dr. Kaissi explained how this doesn’t necessarily mean that we spend our time in prayer all day long; of course worldly duties must also be attended too. However, we must remember to spend our youth and life the way Allah has ordained and we can have fun and do as we please, as long as it is according to the principles of Islam.

3. A man whose heart is attached to the mosque

            -The masjid is a very important place, it is the House of Allah, it is where we Muslims gather together to worship out Creator! Do we go to the masjid only during Ramadan or only for Jummah or do we go frequently through out the week? May Allah give us all the means to go the masjid and attach ourselves to his place of worship.

            -“Abu Hurairah related that Rasulullah (saws) said: When someone makes Wudu at home and walks to the mosque with the intention of observing Salat, each of his steps wipes out a sin while the other adds to his virtues. (Muslim)”  SubhanAllah!!

            -Sometimes, we as college students don’t have the means such as a car to get to a masjid but Allah has blessed us with a room to worship or campus where we can congregate and pray. While we are on campus, that prayer room is our place of worship so we should go there more often to pray, read Quran, or simply take a break from our normally hectic days.

            -These days, what are our hearts attached to? Take a moment and let’s all reflect on this. What are we attached to so much? Facebook? Friends? TV? Music? Movies? Will any of these attachments benefit us on the day when there will no shade except for one of these seven? Instead of attaching ourselves so much to these useless things, we need to attach ourselves to the masjid, a place of worship where we can grow spiritually. After going to the masjid a few times, you’ll realize the sense of peace that comes from going there and praying in congregation or hearing a halaqa. It’s truly amazing, Alhamdulillah! :)

4. Two men who love each other for Allah’s sake, meeting for that and parting upon that.

            -This indicates a brotherhood/sisterhood. Regardless of someone’s race, ethnicity, clothes, or group, we should remember that we can come together based on a common iman.

-We should try to build our relationships based upon Islam, for Allah’s sake, and we should leave each other upon Allah’s sake too. When you are in the company of someone with a common iman, like if you are at their house, you can stop and go pray together, read Quran together, do Islamic things together, talk about Islam together.  The friendship and company feels so much more rewarding and is pleasing to Allah as well. We should also keep in mind that if that relationship becomes unislamic and instead of benefiting you, you yourself begin to develop more negative aspects than positive, you should depart.

5. A man who gets called by a women of “beauty and position” but he says I fear Allah.

            - It’s implied here that one is getting called for illegal sexual intercourse.

            -When we may be approached by someone of the opposite gender, like maybe a celebrity that you’ve only imagine meeting and then they come up in front of you and they are willing to give themselves to you, the temptation may be there, but regardless of that temptation, you say “I fear Allah”. Temptations are innate and we were created with them. It is our ability to ward off that temptation and seek Allah’s help that shows how strong we are.

            -These approaches don’t necessarily have to be in person. They may be a click of the mouse away, they may be a bad website, or a private situation, but it is our responsibility to resist the temptation and say, “I fear Allah”.

6. A man who gives charity but hides it so much that his left hand doesn’t know what his right hand has given.

            -Charity is a very important aspect in Islam.

            -“It is reported by Abu Hurairah that Rasulullah (saws) said: If anyone gives charity equivalent of a single date from something he lawfully earns, for Allah only accepts what is lawful, Allah will accept it with his right hand, He will then foster it as one of you fosters his clot, his charity thus grows and becomes like a mountain. (Bukhari)”

            -“Abu Hurairah reported that Rasulullah (saws) said: Charity is incumbent on every human limb everyday. Bringing peace between two contendants is charity, helping a person to mount his camel or to load his baggage is charity, every step taken towards the mosque is charity and removing an obstruction from the street is also charity. (Bukhari, Muslim)”

            -We should keep in mind that whenever we give, we should not make a big deal out of it. We should never boast about how much we gave, We should do it for the sole purpose of pleasing our Lord.

7. A man who remembers Allah in private, so that his eyes shed tears.

            -When we pray, we must try to forget the world. It should be just us and Allah. We should give ourselves the chance to turn off the fan, meaning that we should turn off our worldly fan of thoughts and things we have to do, and then pray. Pray with focus, Pray like it’s your last prayer. Allow yourself to loose your emotions to your Lord.

            - Prophet Muhammad (saws) said, “No one sheds tears but God will save his body from the fire of Hell. If the tears trickle down a person’s cheeks, his or her face will be saved from any degradation. If one out of a group of people cries, the whole group will be blessed by God. Only tears have unrestricted power. Verily, tears can extinguish the fire of Hell.”

There you have it, the Seven categories of people that will be shaded on the Day of Judgment when there will be no shade available. We should make sure that we fall into at least one category and strive to be in all seven to ensure our shade on the Day of Judgment. May Allah protect us all on that day with his mercy and grace!

Jazakallahkhair! 

-Razz :)

From passages to small reminders

Salam :)

This is simply a post to tell you that we will now also be giving dawa on tumblr but instead of explanations and the whole sha-bang, there will be simple reminders and verses from the Quran that inspire us, and inshalla will inspire you :) :)

here is the site-------> http://missiondawa.tumblr.com/

Salam,

-jazz :)