Followers

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Halaqah: Sorat Al-Ikhlas #112

Salam 3laikum!

Bismillah

Sorat Al-Ikhlas


English Interpretation of the Meaning:
1. Say "He is Allah who is ONE
2. Allah, the Self-Sufficient
3. Neither did He beget and nor is he begotton
4. And there is none comparable unto him."

Notes from Tafsir:
Imam Ahmad reports that the idolaters asked the Prophet Muhammad, sal Allahu 3laihi wa sallam, what is the lineage of your Lord? (this means where did Allah come from? what is his progeny? Etc. It is common for polythiests to have complicated stories about the origins of their gods and their relationships to each other) In response, this surah was revealed. Allah has no lineage because there is nothing like him in the whole of the existence subhanAllah!!

Verse 2~ As-Samad is one of the names of Allah: one who does not give birth, nor was He born because all things that are born die and nothing dies except that it leaves inheritance => Allah does not die or leave an inheritance because he is self-sufficient. He is self sustaining so nothing can cause Him to die so He has no need of progeny to inherit for Him.
(This is in contrast to the Christian idea of Jesus "inheriting" the Earth/World/Kingdom/Universe that can be found in Hebrews 1:1-4 and several other places. If Jesus is God (audhu billah) how can he inherit from himself? If he is not God, how can he inherit unless God dies? This is a common statement of Christians that I believe not many people actually think about the implications as it comes out of their mouths.)

Verse 4~ None comparable: none similar, none equal, nothing at all like Him. You can not even describe Him except in the ways that He described Himself subhanAllah.






Wednesday, July 20, 2011

New Design

Salam 3laikum!

How do you all like the new design?

I was hoping that the wider 3 column design would be a little more user friendly and you wouldn't have to scroll down for miles to see the bottom of the page :-P

Can you read all the fonts with the current sizes and colors? Can you find all the stuff on the page that you want?

Anyway, let me know what you think inshaAllah

<3 NeverEver

Halaqah: Surat Al-Falaq #113

Salam 3laikum!

bismillah

Surat al-Falaq


English Interpretation of the Meaning:
1) Say "I seek refuge in the Lord of the Daybreak
2) from the evil of that which He created;
3) and from the evil of the Darkness when it is intense,
4) and from the evil of those who blow in the knots,
5) and from the evil of the envier when he envies."

Notes from Tafsir:
Al-Falaq means the Daybreak

Verse 2~ Allah is responsible for ALL of creation, the seemingly bad and the seemingly good. This refers to Jahannum (Hell), Iblis (Satan, Devil), and the shayatin (followers of Satan).
Verse 3~ the Darkness when it is intense refers to when the sun goes down (Al-Bukhari) or when specifically the moon rises (At-Tirmidhi)

Verse 4~ blowers of knots refers to those who cast spells and practice magic/witchcraft

The last two suras of the Qur'an offer powerful du3a for protection from the evils of this word. It is highly beneficial to memorize this suras and recite them frequently in the day and night inshaAllah.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Common mistakes in Ramadhan

Salam 3laikum,

Bismillah

I just got this email from our sisters email group. Anything that I add will be in [brackets] as usual.


Some Common Mistakes in Ramadaan

Lets Strive Not to Repeat the Same.

By Asma bint Shameem

1 : Taking Ramadaan as a ritual

For many of us Ramadaan has lost its spirituality and has become more of a ritual than a form of Ibaadah. We fast from morning to night like a zombie just because everyone around us is fasting too. We forget that its a time to purify our hearts and our souls from all evil....we forget to make dua, forget to beseech Allaah to forgive us and ask Him to save us from the Fire. Sure we stay away from food and drink but that's about all.

Although the Prophet (PBUH) said: “Jibreel said to me, May Allaah rub his nose in the dust, that person to who Ramadaan comes and his sins are not forgiven, and I said, Ameen. Then he said, May Allaah rub his nose in the dust, that person who lives to see his parents grow old, one or both of them, but he does not enter Paradise (by not serving them) and I said, Ameen. Then he said, May Allaah rub his nose in the dust, that person in whose presence you are mentioned and he does not send blessings upon you, and I said, Ameen.’”

(Tirmidhi, Ahmad, others. Saheeh by al-Albaani)

2 : Too much stress on food and drink

For some people, the entire month of Ramadaan revolves around food. They spend the ENTIRE day planning, cooking, shopping and thinking about only food, instead of concentrating on Salaah, Quraan and other acts of worship. All they can think of is FOOD. So much so that they turn the month of fasting into the month of feasting. Come Iftaar time, their table is a sight to see, with the multitudes and varieties of food, sweets and drinks. They are missing the very purpose of fasting, and thus, increase in their greed and desires instead of learning to control them. It is also a kind of waste & extravagance. ".....and eat and drink but waste not by extravagance, certainly He (Allaah) likes not Al-Musrifoon (those who waste by extravagance)" [al-Araaf :31]

3 : Spending all day cooking

Some of the sisters (either by their own choice or forced by their husbands) are cooking ALL day and ALL night, so that by the end of the day, they are too tired to even pray Ishaa, pray Taraweeh or Tahajjud or even read Quraan. This is the month of mercy and forgiveness. So turn off that stove and turn on your Imaan!

4 : Eating too much

Some people stuff themselves at Suhoor until they are ready to burst, because they think this is the way to not feel hungry during the day and some people eat at Iftaar, like there is no tomorrow, trying to make up for the food missed. However, this is completely against the Sunnah. Moderation is the key to everything.

The Prophet (PBUH) said: "The son of Adam does not fill any vessel worse than his stomach; for the son of Adam a few mouthfuls are sufficient to keep his back straight. If you must fill it, then one-third for food, one-third for drink and one-third for air." (Tirmidhi, Ibn Maajah. saheeh by al-Albaani). Too much food distracts a person from many deeds of obedience and worship, makes him lazy and also makes the heart heedless.

5 : Sleeping all day

Some people spend their entire day (or a major part of it) sleeping away their fast. Is this what is really required for us during this noble month? These people also are missing the purpose of fasting and are slaves to their desires of comfort and ease. They cannot bear to be awake and face a little hunger or exert a little self-control. For a fasting person to spend most of the day asleep is nothing but, negligence on his part.

6 : Wasting time

The month of Ramadaan is a precious time, so much, that Allaah calls this month "Ayyamum Madoodaat" (A fixed number of days).Before we know it, this month of mercy and forgiveness will be over. We should try and spend every moment possible in the worship of Allaah so that we can make the most of this blessing. However, there are some of us who waste away their day playing video games, watching TV, movies or even listening to music. Subhaan Allaah! Trying to obey Allaah by DISOBEYING him!

7 : Fasting but not giving up evil

Some of us fast but do not give up lying, cursing, fighting, backbiting, etc. and some of us fast but do not give up cheating, stealing, dealing in haraam, buying lotto tickets, selling alcohol, fornication, etc. and all kinds of impermissible things without realizing that the purpose of fasting is to not stay away from food and drink; rather the aim behind it is to fear Allaah.

“O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqoon (the pious)” [al-Baqarah 2:183]

The Prophet (PBUH) said: "Whoever does not give up false speech and acting upon it, and ignorance, Allaah has no need of him giving up his food and drink." (Bukhaari)

8 : Smoking

Smoking is forbidden in Islam whether during Ramadaan or outside of it, as it is one of al-Khabaaith (evil things). And this includes ALL kinds of smoking material eg.cigars, cigarettes, pipes, hookah etc.

9 : Skipping Suhoor

The Prophet (PBUH) said: "Eat suhoor, for in suhoor there is blessing."(Bukhaari, Muslim). "The thing that differentiates between our fasting and the fasting of the People of the Book is eating suhoor." (Muslim)

10 : Stopping Suhoor at Imsaak

Some people stop eating Suhoor 10-15 minutes earlier than the time of Fajr to observe Imsaak. This is a kind of bidah (innovation)."…and eat and drink until the white thread (light) of dawn appears to you distinct from the black thread (darkness of night)" [al-Baqarah 2:187]. And the Prophet (pbuh) said: "….eat and drink until you hear the adhaan of Ibn Umm Maktoom, for he does not give the adhaan until dawn comes." This imsaak is a kind of extremism in religion, and the Prophet (PBUH) said: "Those who go to extremes are doomed, those who go to extremes are doomed, those who go to extremes are doomed." (Muslim)

11 : Not fasting if they missed Suhoor

Some people are too scared to fast if they miss Suhoor. However, this is a kind of cowardice and love of ease. What is the big deal if you missed a few morsels of food? Its not like you will die. Remember, obedience to Allaah overcomes everything.

12 : Saying the intention to fast out loud or saying a specific dua to start fasting The intention is an action of the heart. We should resolve in our heart that we are going to fast tomorrow. That is all we need. It is not prescribed by the Shariah for us to say out loud, "I intend to fast", "I will fast tomorrow" or other phrases that have been innovated by some people. Also, there is no specific dua to be recited at the time of starting the fast in the correct Sunnah. Whatever dua you may see on some papers or Ramadaan calendars, etc. is a Bidah.

13 : Delaying breaking fast

Some people wait until the adhaan finishes or even several minutes after that, just to be on the safe side. However, the Sunnah is to hasten to break the fast, which means breaking fast whenever the adhaan starts, right after the sun has set. Aaishah (RA) said: This is what the Messenger of Allaah (PBUH) used to do. (Muslim). The Prophet (PBUH) said: "The people will continue to do well so long as they hasten to break the fast." (Bukhaari, Muslim). Determine to the best of your ability, the accuracy of your clock, calendar, etc. and then have tawakkul on Allaah and break your fast exactly on time.

14 : Eating continuously until the time for Maghrib is up

Some people put so much food in their plates when breaking their fast and continue eating, enjoying dessert, drinking tea, etc., until they miss Maghrib. The Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh) was that once he broke his fast with some dates, then he would hasten to the prayer. Once you are done with the prayer, you can always go back and eat some more if you wish.

15 : Missing the golden chance of having your Dua accepted

The prayer of the fasting person is guaranteed to be accepted at the time of breaking fast. The Prophet (PBUH) said: "Three prayers are not rejected: the prayer of a father, the prayer of a fasting person, and the prayer of a traveler." (al-Bayhaqi, saheeh by al-Albaani). Instead of sitting down and making Dua at this precious time, some people forego this beautiful chance, and are too busy frying samosas, talking, setting the food, filling their plates and glasses, etc. Think about it....Is food more important than the chance to have your sins forgiven or the fulfillment of your Duas.

16 : Fasting but not praying

The fasting of one who does not pray WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. This is because not praying constitutes kufr as the Prophet (PBUH) said: "Between a man and shirk and kufr there stands his giving up prayer." (Muslim). In fact, NONE of his good deeds will be accepted; rather, they are all annulled.

17 : Fasting and not wearing Hijaab

Not wearing the Hijaab is a sin as it is obligatory for Muslim women. (See Surah Nur, Surah Ahzaab). So fasting and not wearing hijaab certainly takes away enormously from the rewards of fasting, even if does not invalidate it.

[I want to note that this goes for guys too, not just ladies. You guys playing soccer or going to class out there in your short shorts and sagging pants... haraaaam! the area below your belly button, your butt, your thighs, and your knees are all for your ladies alone so have some respect and cover up!]

18 : Not fasting because of exams or work

Exams or work is NOT one of the excuses allowed by the Shariah to not fast. You can do your studying and revision at night if it is too hard to do that during the day. Also remember that pleasing and obeying Allaah is much more important than good grades. Besides, if you will fulfill your obligation to fast, even if you have to study, Allaah will make it easy for you and help you in everything you do.

"Whosoever fears Allah, He will appoint for him a way out and provide for him from where he does not expect, Allah is Sufficient for whosoever puts his trust in Him." (Surah at-Talaaq 2-3)

19 : Mixing fasting and dieting

DO NOT make the mistake of fasting with the intention to diet. That is one of the biggest mistakes some of us make (sp. sisters). Fasting is an act of worship and can only be for the sake of Allah alone. Mixing it with the intention of dieting may become a form of (minor) Shirk.

20 : Fighting over the number of Rakaah of Taraweeh

There is no specific number of rakahs for Taraweeh prayer, rather it is permissible to do a little or a lot. Both 8 and 20 are okay.

21 : Praying ONLY on the night of the 27th

Some people pray ONLY on the 27th to seek Lailat ul-Qadr, neglecting all other odd nights, although the Prophet (PBUH) said:"Seek Lailat ul-Qadr among the odd numbered nights of the last ten nights of Ramadaan." (Bukhaari, Muslim).

22 : Wasting the last part of Ramadaan preparing for Eid

Some people waste the entire last 10 days of Ramadaan preparing for Eid, shopping and frequenting malls, etc. neglecting Ibadah and Lailatul Qadr. although, the Prophet (PBUH) used to strive the hardest during the last ten days of Ramadaan in worship (Ahmad, Muslim) and not in shopping. Buy whatever you need for Eid before Ramadaan so that you can utilize the time in Ramadaan to the max.

Aaishah (RA) said: “When the (last) ten nights began, the Messenger of Allaah (PBUH)) would tighten his waist-wrapper (i.e., strive hard in worship or refrain from intimacy with his wives), stay awake at night and wake his family.” (Bukhaari and Muslim).

23 : Iftaar parties

Although inviting each other for breaking fast is something good and encouraged, some people go to extremes with lavish Iftaar parties with all sorts of disobedience to Allaah, from flirting, mixing of the sexes and hijaab-less women, to show-off and extravagance, to heedlessness to Salaah and Taraweeh, even to music and dancing.

Halaqah: Surat An-Nas #114

Salam 3laikum!

This will be the beginning of a new series of posts inshaAllah. In our halaqah (small study circle) we started with the last sura and are moving backwards with recitation, translation, and tafsir.

Every week I prepare for the lesson by:
1. writing out the sura in Arabic
2. writing the translation of each word below the Arabic word
3. writing out the translation by phrase/ayah
4. taking notes on the important sections of the available tafsir

Since I am doing this anyway, I thought inshaAllah I will do my best to share here what we have learned :-)

So to begin inshaAllah:

Surat An-Nas


English:
1) Say "I seek refuge in the Lord of Mankind,
2) the King of Mankind,
3)the God of Mankind,
4)from the evil of the whisperer, the one who withddraws after whispering-
5)who whispers into the chests/hearts of mankind-
6)from among Jinn and mankind."

Tafsir Notes:
Lord, King and God of Mankind are three attributes that are completely unique to Allah and reserved for him alone.

Verse 4: Al-Waswaas is the whisperer. Every person is assigned a whisperer (devil, shaytan) who makes evil look beautiful, compelling, and enticing
  • It is reported that the devil sits on your heart/chest and whispers when you are heedless about what is expected of you and then withdraws when you remember Allah or when you obey him
  • Abu Dawud reported that one of the compantions of the Prophet Mohammad, salAllahu 3layhi wa sallam, told him that sometimes he would say things to himself in his mind that he would rather fall from the sky than to say aloud and the Prophet Mohammad, salAllahu 3layhi wa sallam, responded "Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, Alhamdulillah aladhi rabba keidahu ila-al-waswasa" meaning Allah is most great! Allah is most great! All praise and thanks are due to Allah who sent his (shaytan's) plot back as only a whisper.
So we see that our whisperer is constantly working on us and it is a great achievement when we hear a whisper and overcome the urge to act on it subhanAllah.

Ya Rabb, Ya Malik, Ya Allah protect us from the whisperer and give us the strength to stay on the straight path ameeeeen.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Ramadhan

salam 3laikum!

you guys it is seriously time for me to start getting ready for Ramadhan. This weekend one of my best friends got married mashaAllah May Allah bless her and her husband in this life and the next ameen. I have been so wicked busy lately and astaghfirullah Ramadhan prep has totally flown out the window this year.... :-/

so things I need to to ASAP inshaAllah, hopefully before Ramadhan starts!!
~ clean my kitchen
~ clean my room
~ set goals for Ramadhan reading and 3ibada
~ find some way to pay my bills and still have enough for food/sahoor (inshaAllah i will be able to get fatoor at the masjid)
~ find some other way to get $ for gifts I am planning for my girls
~ clean out my closets and under my bed, looking especially for donations since I don't have $ for sadaqa
~ steadily increase my 3ibada in order to avoid burnout in Ramadhan
~ wash ALLLLL of my clothes. Every piece. if i can swing it, i only want to do laundry once during ramadhan inshaAllah

Ya Allah help us and make it easy for us to enter Ramadhan ready to worship you to the best of our ability. Ya Rabb forgive us and have mercy on us ameen.

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Stylish Blogger Award


Salam 3laikum!

Way back when I got an award from a very Stylish Blogger named Jnana from Spill Beans! So thank you very much sister!



And the Rules are:
1. Thank and link back to the person who gave me the award
2. Share seven things about myself
3. Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers
4. Contact these bloggers to tell them of their award


So Seven things:
~ I wear a necklace every day that my aunt gave to me. I even wear it in the shower lol.

~ I hate soggy cereal. I put only enough milk in the bowl to make the cereal ever-so-slightly wet on the outside but still retain the awesome crunch.

~ I have been Muslim now for over 2 years subhanAllah alhamdulillah and I started this blog when I was still Christian.

~ I credit facebook with killing my appetite for blogs. I am thinking of shutting down my facebook again temporarily after Ramadhan (since I don't want to miss out on the iRamadan facebook group :-P)

~ I am a huge fan of football (aka soccer), especially Barcelona. I usually watch games in Spanish or Arabic even though I'm not fluent because it is more exciting lol.

~ Alhamdulillah I finally have finished my Bachelor's degree in Physics!!! (And i always wondered why girls don't get Bachelorette's degrees...)

~ I find it infinitely easier to say what I mean when I am writing than when I am talking. If I try to explain my thoughts to someone in person, I will often have to explain several times before my true intention and thought is expressed.

I Tag:
I haven't read blogs in so long that this will be really hard for me... I will tag as many as I can inshaAllah

Umm Squeakster: The lady with the cutest cat mashaAllah :-)

Umm An-Nu'man: Seriously striving to educate Muslim children mashaAllah

Tuttie: A truly inspiring lady who loves turtles almost as much as me mashaAllah :-

Noor: Combining my two culinary loves: southern/comfort and middle-eastern/Saudi and doing it smashingly well mashaAllah

Banana Anne: Telling it like it is and striving in the way of Allah mashaAllah

Little Auntie: Giving great examples of gentle naseeha mashaAllah

Rene: An insightful and wonderful sister with a beautiful little girl who is an absolute pleasure to be friends with mashaAllah

Okay I know I didn't make it to 15, but that took me 30 minutes lol

I'm alive Alhamdulillah

Salam 3laikum!

I'm still alive alhamdulillah. For a long time I couldn't think of anything to write... so I didn't write anything.

I still can't really think of anything to write, but I know how frustrating it is to find a blog, read a few posts then wait forever for another post that never comes and I definitely don't want to be that kind of blogger.

So thanks you all for your patience with me and I am going to try to do better inshaAllah!!

What do you guys want to hear about?
~Non-Muslim Family interactions
~Something funny
~Something serious
~Something about Islam
~Something about football/soccer :-P
~Other

Monday, March 7, 2011

Ready to Go

Salam

Bismillah

So I haven't been here in forever, please forgive me.

Today I want to talk about leaving.

I am soooooo ready to leave this country. I seriously just want to pack a bag and go somewhere else.

There is a mythical place in my head where wearing 'abaya isn't unusual, being Muslim isn't anathema and being born in America isn't a stigma.

demagogue

\ DEM-uh-gog \ , noun;
1.
A leader who obtains power by means of impassioned
appeals to the emotions and prejudices of the
populace.

I see my home country being over run by demagogues. I see it creeping slowly into my family. I see the distrustful looks that my aunts and uncles and cousins give me.

I find comfort in the women around me who know what it feels like, and I thank Allah for them because they keep me sane. I'm not sure if they really know just how much.

I am saddened by the thought that the people who accept me and make me feel at home are usually not my family members. That my family members who have known me since birth have suddenly found inside me their enemy.

I am ready to go.

And yet I realize that no matter where I go, I will always be different. In my hometown I will always be Muslim, always be that covered woman. If I go somewhere else I will always be that convert, always be that American woman.

I realize that no matter what, I will always face some prejudice in this life.

i AM different, alhamdulillah
i AM muslim, alhamdulillah
i AM white, alhamdulillah
i AM covered, alhamdulillah
i AM american, alhamdulillah

These are things I cannot change, things I will not change inshaAllah.

Even if I get a new home and new citizenship, I will always be "that American sister." And maybe that's okay.

And so I put it in Allah subhana wa ta'ala's hands. He is the Most Generous, He is the Most Merciful, He is the Best of Providers.

I ask Allah to help us all with our issues of disenfranchisement. To make us content with the provision he has given us and to help us find peace in this life and the next, ameeeeeen.

wa alhamdulillah 3la kul 7al
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