Thursday Morning
7:00 AM: Alarm clock buzzes. Get up, stagger to the bathroom—shower on. Work clothes on, hair looks good, coffee brewing in the kitchen. “It’s 7:30! Shoot!” 7:30 AM: Jump in the car, coffee in hand. Try to make it to work on time without spilling coffee. 7:55 AM: “Phew! Made it.” Burn through the first 4 hours. 12:00 PM: What is that noise? “Oh, it’s my stomach growling—lunch time.” Inhale food, pray dhuhr (the noon prayer) in the chapel. Tap feet while waiting in line for the second cup of coffee. “What are you wearing? I know it is summer but come on, you are practically naked.” “Next in line.” 1:00 PM: Run back to the office. 5:10 PM: Look outside the window—“Why is it dark? It’s ten past five?!!” 5:15 PM: Finish up, turn computer off. “Gotta hurry home, I only have a little time left for maghrib (after sunset prayer).” “Come on, come on, move!” 5: 45 PM: “I think I still have my wudhu (ablution).” Shoes off, rug on the floor-- “Assalaamu alaykum wa rahmatu Allah, Assalaamu alaykum wa Rahmatu Allah (peace and the Mercy of Allah be upon you).” 6:00 PM: Sizzling oil, boiling water, growling stomach, salivating tongue. Plop on couch, take a deep breath, “What a looong day.” Food on a tray, TV on, national anthem just done—“Play ball!” 6:15 PM: “Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar (God is Greatest).” 9:00 PM: “What a game!” Check email, facebook. Update blog. 10:30: Brush teeth, get in bed—“Did I pray `isha (the night prayer)?” Friday morning Same routine as Thursday. 12:00 PM: Lunch time. Eat on the way to the masjid. 12:35 PM: “Still got five minutes before the khutbah (sermon).” Open the Qur’an—it’s Surat Ali `Imran (Chapter of the Family of `Imran) Ayah (Verse)191: “Who remember Allah while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, [saying], “Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You [above such a thing]; then protect us from the punishment of the Fire” (Qur’an,3:191). “HOW?! I barely have enough time to eat!” Now pause, rewind and start from the top. Thursday morning 7:00 AM: Alarm clock buzzes. Get up. الحمد لله الذي أحيانا بعد ما أماتنا والبه النشور “All praise is to Allah who granted us life after He caused us to die, and to Him is the return.” Stagger to the bathroom. اللهم إني أعوذ بك من الخبث والخبائث “O Allah I seek refuge in you from the male and female devils.” Shower on. Work clothes on, hair looks good, coffee brewing in the kitchen. 7:30 AM: “It’s 7:30! Gotta go.” Run out the door. بسم الله توكلت على الله لا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله (I leave) with Allah’s name. I rely on Allah. There is no power to do good or abstain from evil except with Allah’s help. Jump in the car, coffee in hand. سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي سَخَّرَ لَنَا هَٰذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لَهُ مُقْرِنِينَ “Exalted is He who has subjected this to us, and we could not have [otherwise] subdued it” (Qur’an, 43:13). Will make it to work on time without spilling coffee—“Insha’ Allah (God willing).” 7:55 AM: “Made it, alhamdullilah (praise be to Allah).” Burn through the first 4 hours. 12:00 PM: What is that noise? “Oh, it’s my stomach growling—lunch time.” “Bismillah (in the name of Allah).” Inhale food, pray dhuhur in the chapel. Tap feet while waiting in line for the second cup of coffee. “What are you wearing? astaghfiru Allah (I seek forgiveness in Allah).” “Next in line.” 1:00 PM: Run back to the office. Look outside the window— “Subhan Allah (glory be to Allah), it’s maghrib (the prayer after sunset) time already?!” 4:45 PM: Go down to the chapel, pray maghrib. Back to the office. 5:00 PM: Finish up, turn computer off. 5:30 PM: “Home sweet home.” اللهم إني أسألك خير المولج وخير المخرج ، بسم الله ولجنا ، وبسم الله خرجنا ، وعلى الله ربنا توكلنا O Allah, I beg of You the blessing of entering this home and leaving it. With Allah’s name we enter and with His name we leave. And on Allah, our sustainer, do we rely. Assalaamu Alaykum (peace be upon you) 5:35 PM: Sizzling oil, boiling water, growling stomach, salivating tongue. Plop on couch, take a deep breath, “What a looong day. Alhamdullilah.” Food on a tray, TV on, national anthem just done—”Play ball!” 6:15 PM: “Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar.” اللهم رب هذه الدعوة التامة والصلاة القائمة، آت محمد الوسيلة والفضيلة، وابعثه مقام محموداً الذي وعدته O Allah! Lord of this perfect call and of the prayer which is established for all time. Grant Mohammad the path and Excellency and raise him up in a praiseworthy position which you have promised. 6:30 PM: Get to the masjid. اللهم افتح لي أبواب رحمتك “O Allah open your doors of mercy for me.” 9:00 PM: “What a game!” Check email, facebook. Update blog. 10:30 PM: Brush teeth, get in bed. باسمك اللهم وضعت جنبي ، وباسمك أرفعه فان أمسكت نفسي فارحمها وان أرسلتها فاحفظها بما تحفظ به عبادك الصالحين “O Allah, by your name I lay my side and by your name I left it up. If you hold my soul then have mercy on it and if you send it back then preserve with that by which you reserve your righteous servants.” Friday morning Same routine as Thursday. 12:00 PM: Lunch time. Eat on the way to the masjid. 12:35 PM: Still got five minutes before the khutbah. Open the Qur’an—it’s Surat Al-Imran Ayah 191: “Who remember Allah while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, [saying], “Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You [above such a thing]; then protect us from the punishment of the Fire” (Qur’an,3:191). سبحانك اللهم وبحمدك تبارك اسمك وتعالى جدك ولا إله غيرك Glory to Thee, O Allah, and Thine is the Praise, and Blessed is Thy Name. and Exalted is Thy Majesty. and there is no other object of worship beside Thee. Originally Published at VirtualMosque.com http://www.virtualmosque.com/personaldvlpt/character/700-am-alarm-clock-buzzes/
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One of the most sobering talks I have with my students entering their first professional year of pharmacy school is about substance abuse. It is now a staple in our program to bring in a rehabilitated pharmacist on the last day of orientation to talk about his experience with substance abuse – what led him to that point, how long he went through it, and what help aided his recovery. It is important to stress this issue with the students because they are pursuing a field where drugs are easily accessible. But all of us, my students included, are well aware of the physical, psychological, monetary, and familial detriment that drugs cause. Most of us know the Partnership for Drug Free America’s famous tagline, “This is your brain. This is your brain on drugs.” Yet some of us still fall into that vicious, often fatal, cycle. But the talk was not about drugs per se, and nor is this article. The moral of that pharmacist’s story -which I re-emphasize with my students – is “no one wakes up one day and decides to do drugs.” There are leading factors, stressors and situations that pick and pick at someone’s resilience until one day he or she falls. It is recognition of those leading factors, those signs, that is of utmost importance. Whether the end result is drugs, adultery, breaking siyam (fast) in Ramadan or missing salah (prayer), we must realize that nothing “just happens.”
The number one (if not the only) leading factor to deviation from good, whether in the religious sense or not, is Shaytan (Satan). Shaytan comes at a person from every angle and sugar coats the evil so he or she may fall, sometimes unknowingly. One of my favorite examples of such wicked and subtle ways in which Shaytan will get to a person is from my own past experience. I used to tell myself (in my early years in college), “Well, there is nothing else to do on a Friday night, plus I am not drinking!” Sound familiar? Do we use this line to tell ourselves it is ok to hang out at the bar or the dance club? Or do our friends use the famous line, “Dude, since you don’t drink, do you mind being the designated driver?” How about telling yourself, “Well, we need a quite place to study” while sitting alone with someone from the opposite gender him in a room with the door closed. How long are you going to talk about calculus, chemistry, or psychology before you drift off talking about this, that, and the other? Have you not heard the story of Barsisa, the worshipper who Shaytan destroyed methodically and brought from the high of worshipping Allah to the low of prostrating to Shaytan himself? Shaytan is relentless brothers and sisters, and we must open our eyes, minds, and hearts to the strategies and the whispers of the Shayateen (devils) of both ins (humans) and jinn that cause us to fall into sin. Shaytan has vowed to lead us astray as Allah says, “For he had said, “I will surely take from among Your servants a specific portion. And I will mislead them, and I will arouse in them [sinful] desires, and I will command them so they will slit the ears of cattle, and I will command them so they will change the creation of Allah.” (Qur’an,4:118-119) And do not think that Shaytan will leave a person alone after he or she sins. He will keep one in that cycle and make it seem unbreakable. The familiar line “I have done so much I will never be forgiven” is fed to us every time we think about breaking free form sin. This is one of the most vicious ways in which Shaytan keeps us in his grasp; he makes us doubt the mercy and forgiveness of Allah. Shaytan will also make our repentance seem exceptionally monumental by using the poisonous line,“There is just way too much to know and it is so hard to keep up with it all.” Another tactic that Shaytan uses to discourage us and lead us astray is the false assumption that the only ones who enter paradise are the scholars. Brothers and sisters, being a good Muslim is easy to achieve. Abbas related that a man asked the Prophet ﷺ, “Tell me what should I do to be admitted to Paradise?” The Prophet answered, “Worship Allah associating nothing with Him, observe Salat, pay Zakah (Alms) and strengthen the ties of kinship.” (Bukhari, Muslim) Let us look at a prime example of a young person who stayed on the right path, fueled by his belief in Allah. Yusuf (peace be upon him) is known for his beauty and as a young and virile man he was a servant in the house of the Aziz (royalty) of Egypt. He lived in the same house as the wife of the Aziz, a woman who was taken by the beauty of Yusuf and became overpowered by her desires for him: “And she, in whose house he was, sought to seduce him. She closed the doors and said, “Come, you.” (Qur’an, 12:23) Imagine this brothers and sisters. This young man, full of vigor and hormones, was not only being approached but rather aggressively sought after by a woman who would let him have his way with her. Yusuf could have justified this in so many ways and the people would have probably excused him saying “He is young” or “He is a servant” and would not know any better. He could have, but he did not and he said: “He said, ‘[I seek] the refuge of Allah. Indeed, he is my master, who has made good my residence. Indeed, wrongdoers will not succeed.'” (Qur’an, 12:23) Instead of all the excuses to do wrong, he had all the excuses to do what is right. He sought refuge in Allah and asked for His support in this ordeal and then he used the logic, decency, and faithfulness to his master to prevail for, surely, wrong-doers will never succeed. So let us treat this issue at the root and let us follow what Allah tells us: “And if there comes to you from Satan an evil suggestion, then seek refuge in Allah . Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Knowing” (Qur’an, 41:36). Also in the last few chapters of the Qur’an is a beautiful surah we can recite: “Say, ‘I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind, The Sovereign of mankind, The God of mankind, From the evil of the retreating whisperer – Who whispers [evil] into the breasts of mankind – From among the jinn and mankind”‘ (Qur’an, 114). Originally Published at VirtualMosque.com http://www.virtualmosque.com/personaldvlpt/character/satans-strategy/ Last month, while in transit for a few hours in London, my wife and I decided to sit by the windows of a hallway that connects the sides of the airport terminal. The hallway was a nice, cool area and a big open space for our little daughter to run herself ragged before getting on the airplane. While sitting there talking to my wife who proudly wears her hijab (head covering) and playing with our daughter, I noticed that amongst the waves of people that came and went across this hallway were scores of Muslims. Masha’Allah(God has willed it), sisters wearing their hijabs, abayas or jilbabs (loose garments covering the whole body) walking alongside of brothers with their sunnah (Prophetic tradition) beards. Yet the more the numbers of Muslims walk by us the sadder I get for the state of morale amongst us.
Out of the scores of Muslims walking by, only a handful said “Assalamu `alaykum (peace be upon you).” I did not know how to interpret this. Authu’Billah (God forbid), is it a low level of Iman(faith)? Is it a fear of being recognized as a Muslim, or is it just negligence of the importance and the benefits of saying salam? I am not going to judge based on the brief interaction. I will give all my brothers and sisters the benefit of the doubt and say that it is probably a lack of appreciation of the benefit of greeting each other with salam. Instead, I will take advantage of this portal to remind myself and others of some of the stated benefits of our greeting of Islam. In the book of hadith, Riyad Al-Saliheen, there is a chapter on salam. In it you will find this interesting hadith: Narrated by Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet ﷺ said: “You will not enter Jannah until you believe (or have faith) and you will not believe (or have faith) until you love one another.” This concept of brotherhood/sisterhood in Islam is of utmost importance and it is elaborated on in many different ayat (verses of the Qur’an) and ahadeeth (sayings of the Prophet ﷺ). The above hadith is one such example highlighting the importance of brotherhood/sisterhood that is woven by the fabric of love. The Prophet ﷺ said the couples will enter Jannah (paradise) who base their love for each other on faith. It is a concept that was explicitly stated in another hadith: Anas Ibn Malik, the servant of the Prophet ﷺ , narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Verily one will not have faith until he loves to his brother what he loves for himself.” Love is an important component in our relationship as members of the Muslim community; it is the basis for spreading peace and security amongst ourselves. The Prophet ﷺ gives us an easy way by which we can spread that love as he continues in the former hadith: “Shall I not tell you about something if you do you would love one another? Spread salamamongst yourselves.” Each language, culture, and region of the world has its way of greeting and saluting one another. Islam transcends these boundaries and no matter who you are or where you are from you should always greet another Muslim the same way. They are just a few words yet they display a profound sense of unity and an immense sense of peace and security. It is a promise of peace and a wish of mercy and blessings upon the other person. By saying salam, the stage is set for a good and peaceful interaction. I never understood the power of saying salam until one day, a few minutes before `Asr prayer, I look to my right after finishing the two raka’ahs of tahiyat al masjid (prayer upon entering the masjid) and I see in the corner someone I have not talked to in over fourteen years. I remembered him clearly and not very positively. We used to play soccer together growing up and he was someone that started a lot of fights and caused a lot of trouble. I pondered for a few seconds; should I go over and say salam or just pretend like I don’t see him, pray, and go home? I thought to myself, would he even remember or acknowledge me? Or would he just shrug me off and scoff at me. Eventually I mustered up the courage and went over. “Assalamu `alaykum.” I said “Wa `alaykum assalam…Ahmed?!” he responded. Subhan‘Allah, he was so pleasant and welcoming, he was a changed person. I felt such joy and was overcome with immense happiness. We reminisced over the old days of playing soccer behind my parents’ place until the muadhin called for prayer. I saw him at the masjid everyday for the three weeks I was there and every time we saw each other we said salam. Greeting each other with salam is also a simple way of earning hasanat (good deeds). Imran ibn Hussayn said: A man came to the Prophet ﷺ and said “Assalamu `alaykum.” The Prophet ﷺ replied by saying “Wa `alaykum assalam” and then said “ten.” Then another man came and said “Assalamu `alaykum wa rahmatuallah” and the Prophet ﷺ replied and then said “twenty.” Then another man came and said “Assalamu `alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh” and the Prophet ﷺ replied and then said “thirty.” As demonstrated by the above hadith, the simple act of uttering the greeting words of Islam is an act that will earn you good deeds. In another hadith it is described by the Prophet ﷺ as one of the best deeds in Islam. Abdullah ibn Omar said that a man asked the Prophet ﷺ, “Which deed is the best in Islam?” The Prophet ﷺ replied “To feed the hungry and to say salam to whom you know and don’t know.” But perhaps one of the things we forget the most is that saying salam is speaking in the language of the angels! Allah says in the Qur’an, in Surat an-Nahl: The ones whom the angels take in death, [being] good and pure; [the angels] will say, “Peace be upon you. Enter Paradise for what you used to do.” (16:32) It is also the language of the people of Jannah. Allah says in Surat al-Waqi`ah: “They will not hear therein ill speech or commission of sin, only a saying: “Peace, peace.” (56:25-26) Originally Published at VirtualMosque.com http://www.virtualmosque.com/relationships/brotherhood-sisterhood/just-say-it/ “It’s a desert.”
That’s how I always referred to the weather back home when explaining to my American friends about the climate I grew up in. I thought that summed it up, and gave an accurate description of how sunny and intolerably hot it was most days of the year. One day while hanging out with friends from class, the discussion about climates started up again and I said my famous line of “Well, living in a desert climate….” A few moments later, a girl from the group looked at me and asked “So, did you live in a tent?” I was taken aback by how serious she was when she asked the question and I said “Well yeah! And you know what?! I had a hard time getting a parking permit for my camel when I moved here!” I was so offended by her ignorance. I mean, come on. Seriously?! We were in our second year of pharmacy school. She was a professional student with a supposedly higher level of knowledge! I remember thinking to myself “You are going to be a healthcare professional talking to all kinds of people, so how and why did you just ask such a ridiculous question?” I was infuriated. For years I told that story repeatedly as a prime example of how stupid Americans with their self purported cultural advancements, don’t even know the basics of how an Arab lives. A few years later I married a Muslim-American woman. And you can imagine the clashes that ensued. The first October of our marriage had come to a close and November started, along with talks about Thanksgiving preparations. “I am not having this haram nonsense in my house!” I yelled, veins popping from my neck. “But it is a right of passage for every American girl! When you’re married and have a home you make the Thanksgiving dinner with all the fixings, using the family recipe…” she yelled back. “We fight enough as it is to maintain our Islam living here and I will not bring Christian tradition into my house!” was my rebuttal. Now freeze frame for a second… What do you think was the first thought that crossed her mind?Stupid Arab with his self purported cultural superiority doesn’t even know the basics of our(American) lives? Allah says in the Qur’an, Surat ar-Rum: “And of His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and the diversity of your languages and your colors. Indeed in that are signs for those of knowledge.” (30:22) Why do you think Allah makes this statement in the Qur’an? Obviously Allah did not create us عَبَثًا (in play or without any purpose) and everything He created serves a purpose. So if we reflect on ourselves, as humans, we would see that we are all pretty much the same. We all have the same anatomy and physiology, have the same genetic make up and we all have the same basic needs of food, shelter, security and love. Yet with all these similarities we are vastly different in shapes, sizes, colors and in philosophies, beliefs and outlooks on life. And even though we all come from the same male and female we have different languages, cultures, societies and ways of life. Such differences are ayat (signs) to marvel at and to appreciate the Creator for. There is a reason why Allah says in Surat al-Hujurat: “O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes” (49:13) What is that reason? لِتَعَارَفُوا“…so that you may know one another.” What purpose does acquiring knowledge of “one another” serve? It could have saved me from the argument I had with my wife, and a few more in between. But on a much bigger scale, I think it behooves us as Muslims to accept the fact that people choose to live their lives in a variety of ways and we should break out of our own bubbles and learn about those cultures, especially the ones which we choose to live in. Our guiding principle as we venture into such uncharted territories though, should be what Allah says in completing the above ayah: إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ “Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted.” People differ and cultures vary but as we acquire knowledge of one another, as we become better equipped to deal with our differences constructively and build on each others advancements and achievements, we must always keep in mind that strong Iman and Taqwa (awareness of Allah) are our saving grace and they know no boundaries. Many a time we’ve seen some people cling on to the way of life they had in their home country and try to impose it on their new surroundings. Other times we’ve seen those who reject their previous way of life completely and accept the new culture with the good and the bad. The end result to either scenario is detrimental and more often than not the product is confused children, who do not know who or what to identify with. Allah gives us the solution in Surat Luqman: “And whoever submits his face to Allah while he is a doer of good – then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold. And to Allah will be the outcome of [all] matters.” (31:22) Tafsir al-Jalalyn explains the above ayah: “And whoever surrenders his purpose to God, that is [whoever] takes to obeying Him and is virtuous, a believer in [His] Oneness, has certainly grasped the firmest handle, the stronger end, which is not in danger of being severed, and to God belongs the sequel of all matters – their [ultimate] return.” So if we move to another place with only our culture in a box, looking to either assimilate or isolate ourselves, we will end up lost. But if we come into a culture as Muslims firmly holding on to our Iman (belief) and are prepared to accept the good and leave the bad of others, then we will truly be realizing the meaning of “knowing one another” for the sake of Allah. Originally Published at VirtualMosque.com http://www.virtualmosque.com/personaldvlpt/reflections/its-a-desert/ He looked straight at her as he called her profane names, loud enough for everyone to hear.
“Dude, you’re embarrassing me! Stop. Besides, I don’t think she is Muslim,” I said. “She is Palestinian, isn’t she? What is she doing? Going out with a white guy…” he said conspicuously in Arabic, adding in several more profanities. This took place about thirteen years ago and has stuck with me since. She is someone I met through the Arab Students’ Association on campus. She is Palestinian but, as I recall, barely spoke Arabic. From our very brief encounter, I suspect that she is not Muslim. The hot-blooded friend of mine took it upon himself to call her out in the middle of a coffee shop by stating that such indecent behavior is unbefitting of a Palestinian woman. You might look at this and wonder why assume that the man she is sitting with is her boyfriend? Could he be her husband? Maybe he is a cousin, a family friend, a classmate? They were not holding hands, gazing into each other’s eyes, or making out. They were having coffee at a coffee shop on campus. Being eager to protect the sanctity of Muslims is admirable, but one must understand what Allah tells us in Surat Al-Hujurat: “O you who have believed, avoid much [negative] assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin.” (Qur’an, 49:12) Negative assumptions only give the shaytan (Satan) easy access to our hearts and minds, making us lose control. Even if it was not an assumption but factual, and the relationship was truly illegitimate, yelling profanities at someone is not going to set them straight. Is this the way the Prophet ﷺ preached the message of Islam? He was definitely strict and unwavering when it came to the halal(permissible) and haram (impermissible), but he was also kind and wise in how he delivered the message. As Allah says in Surat Ali Imran, “And if you had been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you.” (Qur’an, 3:159) This is a lesson for us by way of the Prophet ﷺ. Allah says: “(O Mohammad) had you been harsh, ill-natured, and fierce of heart, brutish and coarse towards them, they would have dispersed, split away, from about you” (Tafsir al-Jalalayn). So yelling at your child to pray without any proper teaching is not going to get them to pray. Belittling the iman (faith) of your spouse or your friends is not going to encourage them to learn more about their religion. Spitting nails while giving a khutbah (sermon) about the haram-filled life in non-Muslim lands is not going to be of benefit. We must be conscientious of how we approach people and how we give advice because a person’s faith is so volatile that saying the right thing the wrong way might prove destructive. Allah says in Surat Al-Nahl, “Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best.” (Qur’an, 16:125) That incident at the coffee shop also indicates an alarming phenomenon in the Muslim Ummah (community). His anger over her assumed actions was precipitated by the fact that she was Palestinian, or Arab, and not because she could be Muslim. By perhaps having a boyfriend, especially a white man, she had insulted him and his Palestinian heritage. Culture, lineage, and tribal mentality have resurfaced since the fall of the Ottoman Empire; we are regressing to the days of jahilyah (ignorance) in which die-hard nationalism and unquestionable allegiance to the flag take precedence. If we do not return to our religion then we will be divided and conquered by our own ignorance. But you know what the most frightening thing is about this incident? I have since learned that my hot-blooded friend was infamous for preying on drunken girls at bars. Immediately what comes to mind is what Allah says in Surat Al-Baqarah, “Do you order righteousness of the people and forget yourselves?” (Qur’an, 2:44) It is frightening because anger, assumptions, brutish behavior, and misconceptions about religious and cultural interactions can all be corrected, but hypocrisy that is masked by self-assumed righteousness is a cancer that would soon consume the body of the Ummah. I pray that Allah forgive my sins and guide me to His righteous path and I pray that His mercy has led him and her to repentance and forgiveness. Originally Published at VirtualMosque.com http://www.virtualmosque.com/relationships/brotherhood-sisterhood/the-woman-at-the-coffee-shop/ Humor me! Get ten pieces of Lego or any stackable items and build a simple tower by stacking one piece on top of the other.
Now take the tower apart and start over again, except this time I would like you to start in the middle. Take the fifth piece and suspend it in the air using absolutely nothing at all and then start adding pieces below it and on top of it. What? You can’t do that? Oh, that’s right, gravity, laws of physics and every ounce of common sense says that you can’t start a simple building of Legos from the middle. Dilemma! Well, it might be because I am not an engineer and hence obviously not an expert on how to build stuff, so why don’t you Google engineers in your area and call them for advice? Maybe they have a way of starting a building from the middle. No luck here either? Puzzling! OK, you know what, now I am intrigued by the concept of starting in the middle. If we can’t do it in the rigid physical realm, as we’ve learned from the above example, then maybe we should look into the less “structured” intellectual realm. Do you have a child or a relative that is of school starting age? I would like you to take that child to a middle school and insist on him/her starting there. If you don’t have a child I would still like you to call a middle school and ask if a 5 year old child can start there. Out of luck here too? Astounding! Alright fine, I’ll stop being silly. But let me ask you, would you consider the above two examples as signs or ayat from Allah? Allah says in Surat Ali-Imran: “Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding” (Qur’an, 3:190). So, would you consider common sense, laws of physics, gravity, and engineering sciences as ayatworth pondering and reflecting upon? There is a majestic beauty in the order of things that leads an inquisitive mind and a believing heart to the conclusion that there is an omnipotent God. Hence, they are called “signs.” But the reflection doesn’t stop there. Allah says in Surat Al-Jāthiyah: “And He has subjected to you whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth — all from Him. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought” (Qur’an, 45:13). For people who give thought! So when you ask yourself, “Why did my child not grow up to be a good Muslim?” look back at the first example above, as silly as it may seem, and think. Laws of physics and rules of engineering dictate that you can not start a building in the middle. You have to build the foundation first: pour down the concrete first and then build. If your child does not see you praying at home, or only sees the masjid (mosque) on `Eid or only hears the Qur’an in your house when someone has passed away, then why are you so surprised that your child is not leading an Islamic life? Do you expect the couple of hours in Sunday school to do the trick? Or when you tally up your deeds in a moment of self awakening and you think to yourself, “Man, I have done some real bad stuff and I got to shape up but it’s just too hard to be a good Muslim. I have to change so much,” walk down the street and look at the most magnificent building you can find and realize that this building is such because it has a solid foundation. Start with the basics. Establish your salah (prayers), build on it, and the rest of you will become magnificent. Think about the second example. Can you start a child’s math learning journey with Calculus? So, why is it then that when a new Muslimah comes to the masjid, the first thing she hears is “You are wearing nail polish!? Your wudu (ablution) is incorrect and your salah is invalid!” Or she is pounced on, hands in her face shoving a couple of loose hairs back under her awkwardly fittedhijab (veil). Look around Allah’s creation and ponder beyond the existence of a creator. You are,alhamdullillah (all praise to Allah), Muslim, so you know that Allah is there and you believe in Him. Take your reflection on His creation to the next level. Every single aspect of life, whether living or inanimate, is an ayah (sign), and every sign carries a direction. Open your heart and mind and reflect upon such signs and you will find your way insha’Allah (God willing). Originally Published at VirtualMosque.com (http://www.virtualmosque.com/ummah/community/think-about-it/) Trials and tribulations are a part of life. We do not like them; we do not like to go through them; but eventually we accept them. Even if we pray, fast, pay our zakat and do all different forms ofibadat we still get tested. Sadness sometimes fills our hearts. We could be the best of practicing Muslims, yet poor and unable to put food on our table. We could be rich yet lonely, or young yet unhealthy. It is in these instances that shaytan starts toying with our head. We look at what others have, especially the non-Muslims, and our core gets rattled. The shaytan ignites a fire that gets our blood boiling, hopelessness and frustration set in, and we ask “Oh Allah, why me?! Why am I being punished?”
Psychologists tell us that human beings go through five stages of emotion when struck with a calamity. Understanding the different stages of grief minimizes the first four stages (which are denial, anger, bargaining and depression) and gets us to the final stage – which is acceptance. I went through these stages on many different occasions, as I am sure you have. I am not a psychologist nor am I trying to refute the works of psychology, but I would nonetheless like to offer a different view, a Qur’anic view, on how to deal with life’s trials. Though we do not have a say in when we are born nor in when we die, life has a clear beginning and a clear end. What is sometimes unclear is the journey between the two points. For Muslims, however, the journey could not be any clearer. Allah says in Surat Adh-Dhariyat: وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ “And I (Allah) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone)” (Qur’an, 51:56). Now think back to the first paragraph of this article. You might think to yourself, “I pray five times a day, I fast during Ramadan and pay my zakat, yet I have an ill child, or still can’t find a job, or this stressor or that.” You begin to wonder why you are going through this and why you are being “punished.” Before you know it, shaytan takes the helm and you are on a slippery slope of anger and denial. Before falling down that slope, one must take a deep breath and ponder the following question: is it punishment or is it a manifestation of what Allah has told us in Surat Al-Ankabut: أَحَسِبَ النَّاسُ أَنْ يُتْرَكُوا أَنْ يَقُولُوا آمَنَّا وَهُمْ لَا يُفْتَنُونَ “Do people think that they will be left alone because they say: “We believe,” and will not be tested?” (Qur’an, 29:2) Allah tells us that through this journey we call life we will be tested. In Surat Al-Baqarah, He says: وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ بِشَيْءٍ مِنَ الْخَوْفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِنَ الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَنْفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ “And certainly, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits…” (Qur’an, 2:155) Tribulations are a part of life but that doesn’t make them easy. We still grieve — but how could we not? We are, after all, a very emotional creation. So how does one cope with adversity? There are many ayat in the Qur’an that talk about different mechanisms of coping such as patience, faith, prayer and acceptance. But what I find the most profound and the most comforting is what Allah says in Surat Al-Baqarah: لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا “Allah does not burden a soul beyond that it can bear…” (Qur’an, 2:286). If you stand back and take a look at the whole picture, you will realize that what you have when faced by a tragedy is a choice. Will you go through the stages of grief, denying Allah’s destiny and the wisdom of His plan for you? Or will you realize that what you are going through is something you know you can handle? Whatever trial comes your way is something that Allah has planned and which He has guaranteed you can handle. This ayah is comforting because I, as a faithfulmu’min who believes in Allah and His wisdom, know deep in my heart that although the sadness is cumbersome it will not be overwhelming; that although the times might be tough, I am tougher; and that whatever comes my way will go away; and that eventually I will face my Lord whom, I hope, will be pleased with me as I am pleased with Him. So when you go through a difficult situation, be it the inevitable death of a loved one or the loss of a job or just a flat tire on the side of the highway, take a deep breath and say: قُلْ لَنْ يُصِيبَنَا إِلَّا مَا كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَنَا “Say: ‘Nothing shall ever happen to us except what Allâh has ordained for us…’” (9:51). Originally Published at VirtualMosque.com http://www.virtualmosque.com/personaldvlpt/a-souls-burden/ As I navigate through my journey of self discovery, I have read books about psychology written by those whom society hails as the greatest of minds. My library is full of books from Greek mythology to modern psychology, the majority of which I haven’t read past the first couple of chapters. The material, however, is often too vague or abstract , and almost always unsatisfactory. Recently through the guidance of Allah, I have discovered more about the inner workings of the human mind and spirit in a different book – the verses of the Qur’an. Rest assured dear brothers and sisters in Islam that Allah will never leave us alone, bewildered and unguided trying to figure out the path that would lead us to His grace and mercy. And that is why He sent the prophets and the messengers with messages of hope and guidance to lead humanity to the straight path. The Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) was sent to us with the final message intact and complete to help us understand ourselves; by reigning in our desires, we can become logical, spiritual people on the path to paradise insha’Allah. The Qur’an is rich with examples of how Allah gives us a window into our own minds. He describes to us our nature and gives us tools and examples to improve the goodness that lies within it. One prime example is how Allah in Surah Al-Maarij gives us a glimpse into our nature as humans. He says: إِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا “Indeed, mankind was created anxious…” (70:19) The word هَلُوعًا comes from the noun هَلُع which means excessiveness and being extreme. Allah explains to us further this state of the human psyche in the two ayahs that follow where man’s reaction to either good or bad is extreme on either end: إِذَا مَسَّهُ الشَّرُّ جَزُوعًا وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ الْخَيْرُ مَنُوعًا “When evil touches him, impatient, and when good touches him, withholding [of it]…” (70:20-21) But neither one of those conditions is consistent with how the Prophet (pbuh) describes a mu’minwhen he says: “عجبا لأمر المؤمن ، إن أمره كله له خير إن أصابته سراء شكر فكان خير له، وإن أصابته ضراء صبر فكان خير له ”“How wonderful is the case of a believer; there is good for him in everything and this applies only to a believer. If prosperity attends him, he expresses gratitude to Allah and that is good for him; and if adversity befalls him, he endures it patiently and that is good for him.” (Muslim) So how are we to be thankful and patient while we, as Allah tells us, have been created reactionary and impatient? Well, as Allah has created us with this nature, He has also given us the tools to control and direct that nature towards that which pleases Him. And Allah answers this question for us in the very following ayah: ِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا إِذَا مَسَّهُ الشَّرُّ جَزُوعًا وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ الْخَيْرُ مَنُوعًا إِلَّا “Indeed, mankind was created anxious: when evil touches him, impatient, and when good touches him, withholding [of it], except…” (70:19-21) إِلَّا means except, which implies the verses to follow are excluded from what has already been described. To continue: إِلَّا ……الْمُصَلِّينَ الَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَى صَلَاتِهِمْ دَائِمُونَ“Except the observers of prayer – those who are constant in their prayer.” (70:22) Except those who are devoted to prayer. Those who do not let anything deter them, stall them, or prevent them from performing their prayers. They are the ones that Allah has described in Surat An-Nur: رِجَالٌ لَا تُلْهِيهِمْ تِجَارَةٌ وَلَا بَيْعٌ عَنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَإِقَامِ الصَّلَاةِ وَإِيتَاءِ الزَّكَاةِ ۙ يَخَافُونَ يَوْمًا تَتَقَلَّبُ فِيهِ الْقُلُوبُ وَالْأَبْصَارُ “…men whom neither commerce nor sale distracts from the remembrance of Allah and performance of prayer and giving of zakah (charity). They fear a Day in which the hearts and eyes will [fearfully] turn about…” (24:37) We turn toward and meet with our Lord five times a day. We say “Allahu Akbar – God is greatest,” declaring that Allah is above all and that there is nothing that is worth more than being in His company. Prayers are a reflection of the fact that no matter what actions one performs in life, the most important is one’s relationship with Allah. Prayer is balancing and tranquilizing. If performed properly it will have a lasting effect on the person. After finishing the prayer, the heart will be filled with remembrance of Allah. It will be fearful as well as hopeful of Allah and it will not want to move from such a comfortable position to one where it could disobey Allah. Allah describes this aspect of the prayer in Surah Al-Ankbut: إِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ تَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحْشَاء وَالْمُنكَرِIndeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing. (29:45) Prayers grant us such power to strive successfully against all kinds of evils and temptations. It allows us to remain steadfast through trial and adversity, and protects us from wavering too far to either end of the middle and moderate path. Originally Published at VirtualMosque.com (http://www.virtualmosque.com/society/human-psychology-and-salah/ ) I got in my car, plugged the address in my GPS and embarked on a one and a half hour trek. I wasn’t paying attention to the drive, because I was organizing my thoughts on what I was going to say and preparing myself for potential questions. A pastor from a small town in Maine had invited me to come speak to a group of youth about Islam. I live in the heart of Maine, in a city where Muslims make up 0.54% of the population, less than two hundred people. Jews make up 2.5%, and the rest of the population is some type of Christian.
A few minutes later, I was driving on a small highway getting farther away from the major city and deeper into rural America. The houses became fewer as the smell of cow manure grew stronger. As the miles slipped past, the thought crossed my mind – what did I sign up for? I am going into a little town (population 4340, of which 97.55% is white) that has probably never seen the likes of me before. I imagined an angry mob of people blaming me for family members and friends dying in wars fought to prevent the “terrorists” from ruining the freedom of Americans. Automatically, defense mode switched on. Another forty-five minutes went by, and I had arrived. As I walked through the side door of the church, and went up the stairs into the room where the meeting was being held, I repeated the du`a’ of Musa: رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِي صَدْرِي وَيَسِّرْ لِي أَمْرِي وَاحْلُلْ عُقْدَةً مِنْ لِسَانِي يَفْقَهُوا قَوْلِي O my Lord! Open for me my chest, and ease my task for me, and make loose the knot from my tongue that they understand my speech. The pastor greeted me and the kids started trickling in. All of a sudden, the lady that helped organize the interfaith event looked at the both of us and said, “Oh no, I forgot. Let’s go outside.” All three of us stepped outside the room and she explained that at every meeting they throw a random question out there and ask the kids to answer with whatever comes to mind. She hadn’t prepared a question this time and asked us to help her come up with one. I said, “How about, when you hear the word Muslim, what do you think?” They loved it and we went back in. The kids were instructed to go around introducing themselves and answer the question, “When you hear the word Muslim, what do you think?” I braced myself as I sat in front of the firing squad. The first kid began, “My name is Zach and when I hear the word Muslim I think…desert!” The other answers followed: “Palace.” “White dress.” “Scarf.” “Aladdin.” “Narrow-mindedness.” …and so on. The words I was waiting for – terrorist, war, jihad – did not come up. I introduced myself and started to talk about the five pillars of Islam, explaining one concept after another. Their eyes widened as they hung on my every word. They asked questions about faith, God, Heaven and Hell. They asked – inquisitively not judgmentally – about why Muslim women dress the way they do. A whole two hours of discussion followed, revolving around faith and what it means to me. As a parting thought, I told them “When you hear something on the news and it doesn’t make sense, chances are…it doesn’t make sense.” I urged them to continue this thirst for knowledge and to seek the truth. As I left the room, one of the girls came up to me asking permission to communicate with me via email. She is heading to college to study religion with a focus on Hinduism, but after listening to me she may want to shift her focus to Islam. On my drive back, I thought subhanAllah (praise be to God), we blame people for getting caught up in the media hype and the “media’s war on Islam” and yet – sometimes we ourselves get so sucked into it that we get stuck in defense mode. We assume that no one is interested in listening to us speak about our faith. We get caught up in what goes on in the media, thinking that Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck are the official voice of America. We corner ourselves constantly looking for justifications for the action of a few and forget that a simple conversation with others can go so far. The next day, I had to give a lecture about Islam and Muslims on the campus of a neighboring University. I started my talk with, “Today I am here to talk to you about what Islam is – not what it is not.” Be proud of who you are and don’t let others hijack your religion from you. Originally Published at VirtualMosque.com (http://www.virtualmosque.com/islam-studies/dawah-episodes-small-town-maine/) |
AuthorPalestinian, Muslim, American, Husband, Father, Academic, Pharmacist, Coffee Addict, Nutella phene, Pseudo writer, Soccer player, former Canadian, Community servant, Pinch hitter imam, interfaith ninja, Intellectual vigilante, and the undisputed KING of snark Archives
October 2023
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