Criticising Scholars and Reformers !

It is common to see people sitting in a gathering and criticizing,slandering,indulging in hate speech about scholars,students of knowledge and about people who are making an effort and struggling to bring change..positive change in the world.

These people,I don't understand why they do it ! May Allah Guide them.

Possible reasons:
>jealousy
>inability to do something
>laziness
>arrogance
>for gossip.

Allahu Alam.

Criticizing people will not make you a saint..it doesnt speak good about you..
Rather,it adds to your account of sins.backbiting (eating flesh of your dead brother-hadeeth)

Remember the hadeeth:
A BELIEVER either "Speaks" GOOD or Remains "Silent".

The Prophet (pbuh) said:

“The believer is not given to cursing, slandering or obscene and foul speech.”

(Ahmad,Tirmidhi)

Don't just Sit and Criticize.
Don't just Complain !
Don't just Talk !

If you want to bring Change then know this:
Change Will NOT come through Talking,Complaining or Criticizing.

If it did,then there would be revolutions every hour !

It doesn't work that way..

DO something.
Act.
Have a Purpose,a Vision.
Begin with Yourself.

If you can't then dont just talk..
Instead go and read Quran and do Dhikr..that would add to your account of good deeds atleast.

Really !
It is so sad to see so many "educated",
"modern","experienced","wise" people indulging in such conversations..

They are supposed to be examples..role models and this is the example they are setting !

I am reminded of Imam An-Nawawi's hadeeth no.7-Religion is Nasihah-to Allah,His Book,His Messenger,to the Muslim leaders and to the common folk.
Nasihah means Sincerity.

The category of Muslim leaders includes the political leaders as well as the Ulama,scholars.

Nasihah to them means:
>to support them in good
>to correct them when they err
>not follow them blindly
>make Dua for them,for their guidance.

Nasihah to Common Folk would mean:
>advise them
>greet them with salam.

Do not harm them with tongue and hand.

You expect scholars to be perfect while You are negligent of the Waajibaat (obligatory acts), and do that which is Haraam; and you want Allah to provide you with a leader like the Righteous Caliphs. This is a far off thinking.

But rather, upon us is to hear and obey, even if they themselves were negligent, for their negligence will be upon them.

Upon them is the burden of what they do, and upon us is the burden of what we do.

As for your desire that the leaders be like Abu Bakr and Umar and Uthman and Ali then this is not possible; for we should first be like the Sahaabah or similar to them, so that our leaders are like the Caliphs of the Companions.

Such people are on the increase.
May Allah Guide them.

I pray to Allah to protect us from indulging in such things.May Allah Guide us all.
Aameen

 

5

Sports Day Dawah !

Best Sports Day !

Saturday night around 11pm,I was wondering what I could do to make Sports day a dawah event..

I was wishing I had kept a Dawah tshirt instead of sending them to someone..I didn't have any dawah pamphlets..

I made Dua,asked Allah to Help..I realized so what if I didnt have all that..

Alhamdulillah,I had Allah and then I had a Brain ("Homo sapien brain"),a Willing Heart and stationary items ..

I had an opportunity to reach out to a lot of people..why waste it !

Thought I would make dawah stickers..

Requirement:
A4 size paper,sketch pens,scissors,cellotape,water bottles.

Alhamdulillah,with Allah's Help and Mercy it was a success!

#sportsdaydawah

(when you,your siblings,kids,cousins,friends have sports day or any event..besides enjoying sports you could earn reward:

dawah and providing drinking water.

Dawah tshirts if you have that, might help too... )

#productivemuslimyouth

In sha Allah !

Remember: your Duty is to Convey,the Reckoning is with Allah ! 

WEDDINGS NEED CHANGE

Since it is Wedding season,i wanted to share something with all of you...

In Islam, the institution of marriage is a sacred one, yet a simple one.

It is sacred because it is an act of worship and it’s simple because our role model, the Prophet (SAW), always kept it simple.

Nowadays, we seem to have been so caught up in rituals and customs that we tend to waste enormous amounts of money and time on things that simply aren’t needed.

Nikah and walimah are both sunnahs (traditions) of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), so doesn’t it make sense to try to commemorate these occasions in the same fashion as he did?

Anas (RA) describes one of the walimahs hosted by the Prophet (SAW):

“The Prophet stayed for three days at a place between Khaibar and Medina, and there he consummated his marriage with Safiyya bint Huyay (RA). I invited the Muslims to a banquet which included neither meat nor bread. The Prophet (SAW) ordered for the leather dining sheets to be spread, and then dates, dried yogurt and butter were provided over it, and that was the Walima (banquet) of the Prophet (SAW).” (Reported by Bukhari)

In another report, Anas (RA) says that the Prophet (SAW) “gave a wedding banquet with Hais (a sort of sweet dish made from butter, cheese and dates).” (Reported by Bukhari)


The bride and the women miss their Salah coz of mehendi and makeup..

There are useless risams and rituals..haram activities like music,dance,intermixing of sexes..men dont lower their gaze,hijabi sisters get rid of their hijab...
And the dowry-the rich and the poor both take it..

May Allah Guide such people.

Allah does not want to burden you..

Why do you want to burden yourself with unnecessary worries and sins ?


Why not have a simple wedding..a nikah and waleema ?

Why apply mehendi and makeup at times when you are likely to miss Salah?


We spend extravagant amounts of our own money..it’s sad because there are so many better uses for our hard-earned money. After all, the amount of money spent on the ceremony has no positive effect on the life of the couple.

The Prophet (SAW) is reported to have said:

“The marriage which is most greatly blessed is the one which is the lightest in burden [expense]. However, if people are well catered for, without extravagance and show, there is no problem with that either.”
(Reported by Bayhaqi)

For sure, marriage an occasion to celebrate, but why waste enormous amounts of money on a celebration? It’s definitely not how our beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAW) celebrated. In fact, wasting Allah’s bounties is something Allah has warned us against:

“But waste not by excess: for Allah loves not the wasters.” (Quran, 6:141)


Let’s save all that money and keep it for better uses-building a mosque,helping an orphanage or for something that will ensure that you keep getting reward...it would be an investment for the Akhirah !


If we do that with the right intention, we’ll end up saving money and at the same time, we’ll be adding to our good-deed account as well.

After all, who can’t use some extra cash, some extra good deeds, and a greatly blessed marriage ?


Dear Bride and Groom,
You have to stand up and be firm.."you" have to Revive the Sunnah of a simple wedding..

Think about this,
Do you want to please people or your Creator ?

It is all upto you !

If you lay the foundation of your wedding in a halal way that Pleases your Lord,

In sha Allah,your married life will be peaceful,Blessed..
Allah's Special Rahmah will be on you..
That you defied the world to Please your Rabb !

May Allah Guide us and give us the tawfeeq to make our weddings simpler and according to Sunnah !
Aameen — with Taskeen Aslam and 27 others.

Salah..just do it !

I was coming out of the College Library and while I was keeping the books in my bag,a maid who cleans toilets asked me,
"How do you pray (perform Salah) in College?"

I told her: "Alhamdulillah,Zuhr in my class during Break time and Asr in the Botany Lab."

She was sad that she missed her Salah everyday.I suggested we pray together during break in some class on the floor she works..

She prayed one day with me and I have a feeling she is facing trouble from other sources.


Ma sha Allah,she was sad that she was missing her Salah..!
She wanted to pray but she couldnt..

Now,why did I share this incident with you all ?


Firstly,
When she asked me,I was thinking how I could help..
I reminded myself that I am a Muslim and this was a Dawah opportunity..
Also,the realization that she was my sister in Islam ..This was
Allah's Mercy on me !

I see how people avoid them and talk rudely to them..it is sad..

Remember,there is no discrimination in Islam..you can be better than someone in worship and faith and no other reason..


Secondly,
Her sadness for not being able to pray ..

Brothers and Sisters,
how many of us miss Salah while in College,Workplace,Markets ?


You have to have the determination that you will not miss it..

You will have to take out time by making a few adjustments..

Find a place where you can pray and ask fellow Muslims to join..

If there is some issue with doing Wudu,do tayyamum..

No excuse to miss Salah !

Do not hesitate to pray in front of others..
Be careful that you do not show off in prayer and also do not be afraid..

You have nothing to fear as long as Allah is with you,in sha Allah !

May Allah Guide us and help us to establish Salah,to develop Khushoo in Salah,to enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil.
Aameen

May Allah Bless and Guide that sister and make it easy for her to pray.Aameen



If you wish to share any experiences or incidents related to the above ,pls go ahead..i will be glad..

Jazak Allahu khairan ! — with Taskeen Aslam and 22 others.

What I learnt from Science !

Alhamdulillah,I come from a pure science background and now studying Botany ( study of plants).

This is what "science" taught me:


Very often the things around us teach us important lessons.
We dismiss the subjects we study as temporary information meant for mugging up “just for exams”.

History is so boring-why study about the past when all I care about is present and the future?
Why study minerals,soils,farming,when I don’t want to be a farmer?

Science-that’s just for the most intelligent students,not everyone’s cup of tea..cycles and theories and systems and equations..scary,isn’t it ?

Well,it’s that and much more.

Someone once said :

“Some students drink at the fountain of knowledge others just gargle.”

Science has taught me that it is much more than the theories and concepts of living and non-living things,the way things around us work and function.

It’s upto us to drink as much as we can and want to,from the vast ocean of information.

The electrons and protons,the negatively and positively charged particles respectively,teach that individuals who are greedy,who believe in taking and not giving,those who are selfish have a negative personality and are like the "electrons" while those who are generous and selfless have a positive personality like the "protons".

That is what Chemistry has taught me.


The human body has been so perfectly created by God that it always absorbs,assimilates and utilizes things that benefit it and eliminates the waste.
Human beings should also let the good things and positive thoughts influence them and let go off the negative emotions as they are harmful to our being,our soul.The human body sometimes gets affected by the drugs and other harmful things,that is true for human beings too.


It is truly said that do not underestimate small things and never consider anybody inferior. A match is small – it can save a freezing man or cause forest fires.
Microbiology-the study of micro-organisms teaches that the smallest,the most minute organisms can benefit i.e.enhance the growth of crops (biofertilizers) and cure diseases (antibiotics-Penicillin) or destroy crops (pests,insects etc.) and degrade health (viruses).


Evolution of plants and animals is a lesson to all that you should improve for the better,then only will you survive or else your fate is endangered.

People who change can have 3 fates,which is clearly illustrated by the following quotation :
“People who change after change,will survive,
People who change with the change,will succeed,
People who cause the change,will lead.”


The metamorphoses seen in the butterfly teaches me that “the changes you are experiencing are not always comfortable but they are necessary for your continued growth.”


The lifecycles of different organisms depict that everyone has their turn to lead and to attain fame and fortune,like in plants,sometimes it is the gametophyte,which is dominant and sometimes the sporophyte.I am reminded of the saying:
“If you win,you can lead
If you lose,you can guide.”
The gametes-male and female,fuse to form the zygote.Further,in some cases,the female gametophyte plays a role in the development and growth of zygote.


Majority of the people,when faced with a problem or challenge, tend to feel insecure,they give up and are afraid to live;my advice to them is do not behave like the ostrich which buries its head or like the tortoise,which hides in its shell;be like the crocodile,fighting fiercely.



Paleobotany,the study of fossilized plants,makes me think of people who have lived and made an impression in the society,in the world.

Live you life in such a way that the good you do becomes eternal,your footprints can be a guidance for others.You may be remembered for your writings,actions,words or charity.
“Don’t write your name on the sands,waves will wash it away,
Don’t write your name in the sky,winds may blow it away,
Write your name in the hearts of people you come in contact with,that’s where it will stay.”


The complex living and non-living things are a reminder to people who know much and are truly educated :
“The more you know who you are and what you want,the less you let things upset you.”
Isn’t it true that the most complex plants and animals have strong defense mechanisms-the vertebrates,the angiosperms? Human beings ?


“The tiny seed knew that in order to grow,it needed to be dropped in dirt,covered in darkness and struggle to reach the light.”
Similarly,for a person to mature and grow,struggles and obstacles are necessary to push him forward.


In the chase between lion and deer,many times deer wins because lion runs for food and deer for life.
Remember purpose is more important than need.People survive when there is shortage of food and water because of the will to survive,that is their purpose.


Remember :
“Heart is a good fertile ground.Anything planted there-love,hate,fear,hope,will surely grow and bear fruits.It is for us to decide what to plant and harvest.”

If you plant a diseased seed,a diseased plant will grow and if you plant a healthy seed,a healthy plant will grow.
Similarly,if you allow good thoughts,good actions,good things to dwell in you,you will grow into a beautiful individual with a healthy heart,mind and
soul and if you allow negative things to dwell,face the consequences..


“Where Hope Grows,Miracles Blossom”..

Keep learning from everything and everyone around you.

See and Hear,
Observe and Analyse,
God has given you the unique power of thinking,which no other creature in the universe is blessed with...


Allah is The Creator of the Heavens and the earth..
Appreciate and reflect on His Creations...


Dear Sisters and Brothers,
Have you ever thought that if the Creation is so Beautiful and everything in nature is so perfectly designed...

Who except "Allah" could be their Creator ?


"It is Allah Who created everything in the best of form…It is He Who created and perfected all things."

(Quran,32:7, 87:2)


"Everything We have created and prescribed for its measure, its character and destiny…No creature creeps on earth but Allah provides for it its sustenance. He knows its purpose and destiny. For it is He Who prescribed them in His eternal order…The sun rises and sets traversing its orbit exactly as the Almighty, the All Knowing has ordained. And the moon passes regularly through its phases, returning to its original thin crescent form. Neither sun nor moon overtakes the other; neither night nor day deviates from their preordained courses. Each moves in the orbit Allah has ordained for it.

(Quran,54:49, 11:6, 36:38-40) — with Taskeen Aslam and 22 others.

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Bachelor and happy ?

A bachelor asked a wise man: 'Is it true that calamities and tribulations don't come until one marries a wife?'

The wise man replied: 'On the contrary, when calamities come, only then one appreciates the value of a righteous wife. If you think you are happy while you are a bachelor, you do not know what happiness is. Happiness can't be achieved without your better half!'

~Shaikh Assim AlHakeem — with Muminat Abubakar and 6 others.

love and islam

Love in Islam
( this is specially for those who say love is not permitted in Islam
#dawah )

To love someone is a natural emotion, and there is absolutely no sin if one loves another person; it is what one does and says after one has fallen in love with that person which would determine whether it would be counted as a virtue and a good deed in the Sight of Allah or a sin!

If one falls in love, and informs one’s guardians that they love so and so, and requests them to sanctify their love in the sacred bond of marriage so that they may love each other for the rest of their lives would be counted as a virtue and a good deed in the Sight of Allah Subhanah.

But if one falls in love, and strives to meet or talk to the person in secret and in private, and in their love transgress the boundaries of Allah before they are united in the sacred bond of marriage; then indeed it would constitute a huge sin in the Sight of Allah.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran (Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verse 5: 5 )

This day are (all) things good and pure made lawful unto you. The food of the People of the Book is lawful unto you and yours is lawful unto them. (Lawful unto you in marriage) are (not only) chaste women who are believers but chaste women among the People of the Book revealed before your time when ye give them their due dowers and desire chastity, not lewdness nor secret intrigues. If anyone rejects faith fruitless is his work and in the Hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who are losers.


The basic difference is that love between man and woman in the Islamic context can only be realized and expressed in a legal marriage.

In order to develop a healthy avenue for the expression of love between a man and woman, and to provide security so that such a loving relationship can flourish, it is necessary to give it the protection of Shariah (Islamic law).

Marital love in Islam inculcates the following:

1) Faith:

The love Muslim spouses have for each other should be for the sake
of Allah and to gain His pleasure. It is from Allah that we claim our mutual
rights (Quran 4:1) and it is to Allah that we are accountable for our behavior as husbands and wives.


2)It sustains:

Love is not to consume but to sustain.
Allah expresses His love for us by providing sustenance. To love in Islam is to sustain our loved one physically, emotionally, spiritually and intellectually, to the best of our ability.
(Note : To sustain materially is the husband’s duty. However, if the wife wishes she can also contribute)


3)Accepts:

To love someone is to accept them for who they are. It is selfishness to try and mould someone as we wish them to be. True love does not attempt to crush individuality or control personal differences, but is magnanimous and secure to accommodate differences.


4)Challenges:

Love challenges us to be all we can, it encourages us to tap into our talents and it takes pride in our achievements. To enable our loved one to realize their potential is the most rewarding experience.


5)Merciful:

Mercy compels us to love and love compels us to have mercy. In the Islamic context the two are synonymous.
The attribute Allah chose to be the supreme for Himself is that He is the most Merciful. This attribute of Rahman (the Merciful) is mentioned 170 times in the Quran,emphasizing the significance for believers to be merciful. Mercy, in practical application, means to have and show compassion and to be charitable.


6)Forgiving:

Love is never too proud to seek forgiveness or too stingy to forgive. It is willing to let go of hurt and letdowns. Forgiveness allows us the opportunity to improve and correct ourselves. Islam emphasizes the principle that if we want God to forgive our mistakes, then we should be forgiving of others too.


7)Respect:

To love is to respect and value the person, their contributions,and their opinions. Respect does not allow us to take for granted our loved ones or to ignore their input. How we interact with our spouses reflects whether we respect them or not.


8)Confidentiality:

Trust is the most essential ingredient of love. When trust is betrayed and confidentiality compromised, love loses its soul.


9)Caring:

Love fosters a deep fondness that dictates caring and sharing in all that we do. The needs of our loved ones take precedence over our own.


10)Kindness:

The biography of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is rich with examples of acts of kindness he showed towards his family and particularly his wives. Even when his patience was tried, he was never unkind in word or deed. To love is to be kind.


11)Grows:

Marital love is not static, for it grows and flourishes with each day of marital life. It requires work and commitment, and is nourished
through faith when we are thankful and appreciative of Allah's blessings.


12)Enhances:

Love enhances our image and beautifies our world. It provides emotional security and physical well being.


13)Selflessness:

Love gives unconditionally and protects dutifully.


14)Truthful:

Love is honesty without cruelty and loyalty without compromise.


"Islam didn’t make it Haram for you to fall in love. It didn’t forbid you from wanting someone. It only guides that love so it protects you, her, your families and especially saves you from humiliation on judgment day. If you love her so much, why are you ok with letting her engage in this questionable relationship knowing full well that she will have to answer Allah just like you will. You don’t love her enough to save her from that?"


-Nouman Ali Khan 

Identity of Muslimah-Dawah in College

IDENTITY OF A MUSLIMAH

Have you ever thought about your identity as a woman ?


Is it defined by what the world, the society thinks of you or are you a person you think you are? 

Identity could also mean how you feel about yourself, how you present yourself to the world and how it perceives you.


We no longer measure ourselves against the righteous standards but from media standard- body proportion, money and effort to fit in and be a "perfect" woman.

For example,a woman's success is measured by her fashion statements, her looks her money.

Next time you read a newspaper or watch an advertisement, reflect on what is said and conveyed to you-only if you use L'oreal Paris products 'you are worth it'.


Based on the above facts as you see it ,that are glaring and manipulating our minds, I have made an effort to form my identity contrary to the beliefs stated above.

My identity has been formed as a result of my upbringing, which is a product of inculcating in me-respect, confidence, bravery, pride and freedom, which has made me a satisfied and happy Muslimah, with no guilt that I am the soul-less creature or the arrogance that I am the Goddess of the Universe .


I choose to do what is innate in me, what Allah has blessed me with-talents and skills unique to myself-to put them to good use to Please my Creator, to be the 'one', the unique one with a set of talents that no one in the universe is blessed with..and that is the case with each one of you..


The fashion I follow is not part of my mood and identity-it does not indicate whether I'm successful or not. It's just what I want to wear-not to please others but being modest-to obey my Lord and for my safety as well.
Half the worries gone..Alhamdulillah.


As a woman,you want to be accepted ,wealthy, popular, attractive.
Accepted in larger circles of snobs and materialistic people.
To be popular and wealthy by using MANGO,BIBA,ZARA etc.
Attractive and desirable to be noticed..


How much time we spend on our external appearance ? Before leaving for college, work and even there when we get time..

Now think how much time do you spend on your internal aspects-heart, mind and soul ?


Oh wait ! Do we even have such thoughts ? Aren't they old fashioned? I wonder...


And then we have a problem, we object when we are looked at as objects of desire.


I have never felt that I should be accepted/popular/attractive by being externally beautified alone, inspite of the media Alhamdulillah.

I'm sure you all know of people who are very good looking and you dislike them ;popular and attractive, yet they can be unbearable-yet you want to be all that?


I know of some women (one of them is my mom), who are ideal- who manage everything perfectly, selfless and unoppressed, brave, confident and pious. It is their righteousness which has given them the above qualities and their relationship with Allah.


As a woman, I want the beauty, the modesty, the humility, the decency these exceptional women have.
May Allah make me such. Aameen.


These women are successful Muslimahs not because they are successful in being oppressed or because they defy the truth and disobey their Creator but because they have Ikhlaas, they do things not for show off but for Allah alone.


I want to be truly educated and a righteous woman and if I become that EVERYTHING-identity, relationships, everything will fall into place,
In Sha Allah.


"Man in early times was almost naked and as his intellect evolved,he started wearing clothes.What I'm today and what I'm wearing represents the highest level of thought and civilization that man has ever achieved and is not regressive.It is the removal of clothes again that is a regression back to ancient time"
-Tawakkul Karman.


This simple piece of cloth I use to cover my body serves as a constant reminder of my ultimate purpose in life which is to live a fulfilling life in the obedience of the Lord of the worlds.

It reminds me that I am a Muslimah, a slave to God only, and that I need to strive for excellence all the time.

It constantly ignites the flame of Iman within myself to serve Allah through various acts of goodness.

If I start speaking foolishly or letting my gaze wander, the touch of the silk cloth brings me back on track, Alhamdulillah.

Thus I am always in a constant state of utilizing my intellect to serve Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala by various acts of worship.

Because hijab serves as a constant reminder, I don’t try to waste my time in useless activities, looking at unbeneficial things, speaking fruitlessly and thus preserve my intellect from misuse!

Through hijab I am engaged in a constant inner struggle to look beyond the set standards of beauty on the cover pages of magazines and instead build my own personality and identity. Through hijab my sexuality is in my control through which I protect myself from lustful looks and filthy comments and thus avoid unnecessary stress.


Through hijab, my focus on any work is at its full which helps me gain super-productivity in whatever I set out to do Alhamdulillah.

Hijab is my freedom; it fosters intellectual growth within me and facilitates my intellectual ability to reach its peak, with the permission of Allah!

May Allah Guide me and us all and help us to understand and maintain hijab all our lives for His Sake.Aameen.


(Alhamdulillah,I had written this article for Dawah purpose and for a panel discussion on women's issues in college) — with Taskeen Aslam and 31 others.