Can't Defy Allah's Plan

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

There is no good luck or bad luck but there is Divine plan. Instead of asking why those people have it so easy and my life is a pit, ask Allah, "O Allah! Why do you that for me? Do I really deserve that? I am the one who is disobeying, not following the sunnah, not worshiping You the way You want me to do, and with all of that You are taking care of me (look at all the things you have--just look at the functioning of your bodily parts, you hearing, your sight, your intellect, your voice and many many more blessings that you have taken for granted)?" This will increase the love of Allah in your heart.

Prophet Yusuf alayhissalaam, his father loved him more than the other brothers. To have your father loves you is good. But this love led to his brothers' jealousy of him and they threw him in a well. This is bad. He was picked up by a caravan and the people sold him to the Prime Minister of Egypt, and he came to live in a house that has power and prestige. This is good. The wife of the Prime Minister tried to seduce him and he was put in jail for a long time. This is bad. Many years later (some said as long as 30 years later), the king freed him and made him his right hand and he became the most powerful man in Egypt. This is good. The story ended with a happy ending and we feel good. But stories are not about happy ending or bad ending but Allah had planned it that way.

So, we might not be able to see the wisdom of what is happening, nonetheless we have to respond to it the proper way. Whatever problems we have, whatever problems we see around us and around the world, don't be too excited and get all emotional. The desert man who defecated in Abraha's church responded to him emotionally and it turned into a disaster. Emotion is good to have but it is not a means to respond. The means to respond in our religion is the Shari'ah.

We must rely on Allah in everything. Always pray for help from Allah and we wait with patience. This earth belongs to Allah. He can give to whoever He wants. But the best outcome is for the righteous, without distinguishing between men and women, noble and ignoble, rich and poor. The soldiers of Allah will come to help the righteous. How, where, when, this is the Divine plan. Our job is to fit our plan in the Divine plan.

Sometimes we think if we have control of such and such thing or such and such place, we will make things good. You think? You might turn out to be just like Fir'aun. You don't know. What we know is that Allah plans everything that is in our hands.

قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوْمِهِ ٱسْتَعِينُوا۟ بِٱللَّـهِ وَٱصْبِرُوٓا۟ ۖ إِنَّ ٱلْأَرْضَ لِلَّـهِ يُورِثُهَا مَن يَشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِۦ ۖ وَٱلْعَـٰقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ ﴿١٢٨﴾ قَالُوٓا۟ أُوذِينَا مِن قَبْلِ أَن تَأْتِيَنَا وَمِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا جِئْتَنَا ۚ قَالَ عَسَىٰ رَبُّكُمْ أَن يُهْلِكَ عَدُوَّكُمْ وَيَسْتَخْلِفَكُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَيَنظُرَ كَيْفَ تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿١٢٩

Said Moses to his people, "Seek help through Allah and be patient. Indeed, the earth belongs to Allah. He causes to inherit it whom He wills of His servants. And the [best] outcome is for the righteous." (128) They said, "We have been harmed before you came to us and after you have come to us." He said, "Perhaps your Lord will destroy your enemy and grant you succession in the land and see how you will do." (129)
Qur'an Al-'Araf 7:128-129

May Allah save us from the trials and tribulations of this life and the next and make us among the righteous and the patience. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Where Is Allah?

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Today is the second day of the mubarak ten days of Zhulhijjah, the days that Allah Most High swears by in the Qur'an saying:

وَٱلْفَجْرِ ﴿١﴾ وَلَيَالٍ عَشْرٍ ﴿٢

By the break of Day (1) And [by] ten nights (2)
[Qur'an Al-Fajr 89:1-2]

But where is Allah? This is a loaded question. It makes an assumption that Allah exists in a place, i.e. in a place relative to you--towards the direction of your head, feet, right or left.

Allah does not exist in a place. Allah is not a body that occupy space.

This is a child's answer to the question.

Questioner: Where is Allah?

Child: Allah is everywhere and no where.

Questioner: How can everywhere and no where be at the same time?

Child: Allah is everywhere because where ever I go He is with me. Allah is no where because Allah does not exist in a place.

Questioner: Why can't Allah be here?

Child: Because Allah created every place.

A child knows this but how many adults are having difficulty understanding this? Perhaps a lot more than it should be. Why? Because we adults have gone further and further away from our fitrah (our nature created by Allah). This is a consequence of our own heedlessness of Allah. We are too busy with our lives and we forget Allah even though we know this life is not going to stay forever. Allah is there whether we see Him or not and whatever we do He sees and we should be afraid. We are going to return to Allah sooner than we think and what are we going to bring with us? Nothing except our deeds. No friends, no wives/husbands, no children, no houses, no bosses, no titles, no prestige, no TV, no laptop/iphones, no investment accounts to buy our way into Paradise.

Remember Shaytan had said, "and indeed I will order them to change the nature created by Allah.’[Qur'an Nisa’ 4:119]

إِن يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ إِلَّآ إِنَـٰثًا وَإِن يَدْعُونَ إِلَّا شَيْطَـٰنًا مَّرِيدًا ﴿١١٧﴾ لَّعَنَهُ ٱللَّـهُ ۘ وَقَالَ لَأَتَّخِذَنَّ مِنْ عِبَادِكَ نَصِيبًا مَّفْرُوضًا ﴿١١٨﴾ وَلَأُضِلَّنَّهُمْ وَلَأُمَنِّيَنَّهُمْ وَلَـَٔامُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُبَتِّكُنَّ ءَاذَانَ ٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ وَلَـَٔامُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُغَيِّرُنَّ خَلْقَ ٱللَّـهِ ۚ وَمَن يَتَّخِذِ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنَ وَلِيًّا مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّـهِ فَقَدْ خَسِرَ خُسْرَانًا مُّبِينًا ﴿١١٩﴾ يَعِدُهُمْ وَيُمَنِّيهِمْ ۖ وَمَا يَعِدُهُمُ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ إِلَّا غُرُورًا ﴿١٢٠﴾ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ مَأْوَىٰهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ وَلَا يَجِدُونَ عَنْهَا مَحِيصًا ﴿١٢١

They call upon instead of Him none but female [deities], and they [actually] call upon none but a rebellious Satan. (117) Whom Allah has cursed. For he had said, "I will surely take from among Your servants a specific portion. (118) 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." And whoever takes Satan as an ally instead of Allah has certainly sustained a clear loss. (119) Satan promises them and arouses desire in them. But Satan does not promise them except delusion. (120) The refuge of those will be Hell, and they will not find from it an escape. (121)
[Qur'an Nisa’ 4:117-121}

If you know someone is an enemy, would you follow him? Shaytan is our clear enemy. Don't follow the Shaytan. Fight the Shaytan in us and the Shaytan outside of us to gain back our fitrah.

May Allah make us His obedient slaves and grant us righteous deeds. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your prayers. JazakAllahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Not The Way To Have A Piece Of The World

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

What a beautiful sight this morning...a big group of male students in white Islamic hats together crossing the busy main road in front of Al-Azhar University. I was so impressed. The automobiles gave way. SubhanAllah. Islam is definitely here to stay whether you are part of it or not. If you are part of it, you are carrying the banner of the Truth and you are definitely on the right side and you are the successful. If you are not part of it, you are definitely on the wrong side and may Allah guide you so you will be saved from the calamities in this life and the next.

Contrast with...

My son and I were at the US Embassy today. While waiting by a service window, we became captive audience of an interview for a marriage license right in front of us.

Interviewer: How many do you think we do this (interview for marriage license) everyday?

Interviewee: I am sure many, 100?

Interviewer: 8 out of 10 of these cases, the couple met on the internet and 1 or 2 they came like you, met at coffee shop. They go on a date, the guy says nice things and the woman is flattered and he makes her feel good. They get married, he gets to live in the US, and after 4 or 5 years when he gets his green card/citizenship, then they are divorced. These men married American women because they saw the opportunity to live in the United States. Don't be the cause of bringing more people to the country like this. (words in meaning)

The interview went on for a long while. I tried to block my ears. It was definitely a good exercise of "if it doesn't concern you, shut off your ears." But I could still hear some of the interview. It was clear to me that the the interviewer was trying to convince the woman not to marry the local man.

Tell our children, this is not an honorable way of getting into marriage. And definitely this is not the Islamic way to choose a spouse. It is always greener on the other side, but is it really?

During my practice of family law, I saw firsthand how children suffered when these marriages (for green card) inevitably ended up in divorces. They are the ones who suffer the most. The children typically wind up with the non-Muslim parent. In the best scenario children are bounced back and forth between the two parents, with no Islam, at least in one household. So, the man left what he thought to be a difficult life of his birth country, marry an American woman so he gets to come to America but what's so great about the broken home his children later inherit? He has traded his eternal akhirah for this ephemeral dunya. But he lost his dunya anyway--after having to spend all his money he worked hard for in legal costs and attorneys, and agonies for the rest of his life losing his kids.

So if you see the other side is greener, it is merely a pigment of your imagination. Don't be fooled.

In reality, it is all the same anywhere you live. Allah already set our provision. If you have fear of the small amount you see, don't forget the added factor of "barakah" (blessings) from Allah that you have not yet seen or might not be able to see. But it is there. However, the barakah only comes when you do things solely for the sake of Allah. You cannot quantify the blessings of Allah with numbers. If you do things for Allah, marry for Allah and have children for Allah, you are on your way to great success in this life and the next. Allah will not forsake you.

My son was going to tell the American woman, "Don't marry him, you are being stupid." But it was too late.

May Allah guide our families. Ameen. Please don't forget is in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

What To Do On The First 10 Days of Zulhijjah?

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

The month of Zulhijjah is around the corner.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,

"There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these ten days." The people asked, "Not even Jihad for the sake of Allah?" He, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Not even Jihad for the sake of Allah, except in the case of a man who went out to fight giving himself and his wealth up for the cause, and came back with nothing (Bukhari).

Even if you are not traveling for Hajj, you can still do good deeds.

Recommended extra good deeds

1. Fast on the first 9 days of Zulhijjah, at least on Zulhijjah 9, the day of Arafat. Fasting on the day of Arafat will expiate one's sins of 2 years (past and future).

2. Avoid all sins at all costs. Remember there is no connection with Allah except our obedience to Him (Omar's advice).

3. Make lots of du'a (supplication). Don't forget to ask Allah for what He wants from you.

4. Do more dhikr (remembrance) of Allah. Recite a lot of Tasbeeh ("SubhanAllah"), Tahmeed ("Al-hamdu Lillaah") and Takbeer ("Allahu akbar") during this time.

5. Say Eid Takbir wherever you go. "Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, la ilaha ill-Allah, wa Allahu akbar wa Lillahi’l-hamd (Allah is Most Great, Allah is Most Great, there is no god but Allah; Allah is Most Great and to Allah be praise)," as well as other phrases.

Men are encouraged to recite these phrases out loud and women quietly. Ibn ‘Umar and Abu Hurayrah, two of the Prophet's Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), used to go out in the marketplace during the first ten days of ZulHijjah, reciting Takbir, and the people would recite Takbir individually when they heard them.

6. Give more charity during these 10 days.

7. Increase ties of kinship and kithship (visit them, call them, say kind words, etc.)

8. Increase prayers at masjid and do more voluntary prayers at home (tahajjud, dhuha, sunnah prayers before and after the 5 daily prescribed prayers, etc).

9. Read more Qur'an and contemplate on the meanings.

10. Thank Allah for all His blessings and seek Allah's forgiveness more frequently. This means more than just a verbal expression of sorrow for past deeds. It also requires a firm resolution to avoid making the same mistakes in the future by giving up bad habits and behavior while sincerely turning to Allah.

11. Sacrifice an animal after Eid prayer (Zulhijjah 10, 11, 12, 13) and give the meat to the poor and a portion for yourself and friends.

If you have relatives in some of the poor countries like Egypt, Pakistan, Somalia, it is not a bad idea to have the sacrifice done in those countries for it is likely this is the only time the poor there are able to taste meat in the entire year.

12. Go to the Eid prayer on Zulhijjah 10. It is recommended to fast before Eid prayer. You break your fast after the prayer.

Hajj Mabrur to those who are performing hajj this year. Ameen. Please include us in your prayers. May Allah accept our works and grant us the opportunity to perform hajj next year.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

We Are Wronging Our Souls By Following Our Lusts

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Allah does not wrong people at all. We are the ones who are wronging our own selves to cause our blessings to be annihilated with no benefit to our souls.

The true slaves of Allah are those whose hearts are turned to Him morning, noon, and night, and who seek not worldly gain, but Allah's Grace, Allah's own Self, His presence and nearness. Even if they are poor in this world’s goods, their society gives far more inward and spiritual satisfaction than worldly grandeur or worldly attraction.

For those who stray from Allah’s path, Allah’s Grace is ever anxious: it seeks to reclaim them and bring them back to the path. If such one resists, and follows his own lusts, a point is reached when his case becomes hopeless. Allah’s Grace does not then reach him, and he is abandoned to his pride and insolence.

Our choice in our limited Free will involves a corresponding personal responsibility. If we reject it, we must take all the terrible consequences--Fire of Hell, its flames and roof will completely enclose us like a tent.

The righteous will be rewarded beyond their merits--Gardens: perpetual springs of crystal clear water, which can be seen as in a landscape from above; they will be adorned therein with bracelets of gold and will wear green garments of fine silk and brocade, and for rest and comfort, high thrones of dignity on which the blessed ones recline. Not a single good deed of theirs will lose its reward, and the mercy of God will blot out their sins.

Excerpts from Surah Al-Kahf 18:28-43 in close meanings

And keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, seeking His countenance. And let not your eyes pass beyond them, desiring adornments of the worldly life, and do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his desire and whose affair is ever [in] neglect. (28)

And say, "The truth is from your Lord, so whoever wills - let him believe; and whoever wills - let him disbelieve." Indeed, We have prepared for the wrongdoers a fire whose walls will surround them. And if they call for relief, they will be relieved with water like murky oil, which scalds [their] faces. Wretched is the drink, and evil is the resting place. (29)

Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds - indeed, We will not allow to be lost the reward of any who did well in deeds. (30)

Those will have gardens of perpetual residence; beneath them rivers will flow. They will be adorned therein with bracelets of gold and will wear green garments of fine silk and brocade, reclining therein on adorned couches. Excellent is the reward, and good is the resting place. (31)

And present to them an example of two men: We granted to one of them two gardens of grapevines, and We bordered them with palm trees and placed between them [fields of] crops. (32)

Each of the two gardens produced its fruit and did not fall short thereof in anything. And We caused to gush forth within them a river. (33)

And he had fruit, so he said to his companion while he was conversing with him, "I am greater than you in wealth and mightier in [numbers of] men." (34)

And he entered his garden while he was unjust to himself. He said, "I do not think that this will perish - ever. (35)

And I do not think the Hour will occur. And even if I should be brought back to my Lord, I will surely find better than this as a return." (36)

His companion said to him while he was conversing with him, "Have you disbelieved in He who created you from dust and then from a sperm-drop and then proportioned you [as] a man? (37)

But as for me, He is Allah, my Lord, and I do not associate with my Lord anyone. (38)

And why did you, when you entered your garden, not say, 'Ma sha Allah (What Allah willed [has occurred); there is no power except in Allah '? Although you see me less than you in wealth and children, (39)

It may be that my Lord will give me [something] better than your garden and will send upon it a calamity from the sky, and it will become a smooth, dusty ground, (40)

Or its water will become sunken [into the earth], so you would never be able to seek it." (41)

And his fruits were encompassed [by ruin], so he began to turn his hands about [in dismay] over what he had spent on it, while it had collapsed upon its trellises, and said, "Oh, I wish I had not associated with my Lord anyone." (42)

And there was for him no company to aid him other than Allah, nor could he defend himself. (43)

May Allah forgive our sins and make us His obedient slaves. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

No One Stood Up

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Sometimes it comes to our mind that "I wish I live in the time of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace." And it would be easy to follow the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace. Would it really be easy for you?

The problem with many of us, we like to live in the past or the future and we forget to live in the present. It is this present moment that you are being taken to task.

One day a group of people were sitting with Hudhaifa ibn Al-Yamman, Allah be pleased with him, when someone said to him, "Had I met the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, I would have fought fiercely and sacrificed my life."

Hudhaifa said, "Would you really have? I have seen the time one night during the battle of Ahzab when we were sitting in rows with the army of Abu Sufyan outside Madina and the Jews of the Banu Qurayzah inside Madina. We feared that they would attack our families. We had never before experienced a night that was darker than that night nor a night in which the wind blew more firecely. The wind made sounds resembling thunder and the darkness was so intense that we could not even see our fingers.

The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace said, "Who will go and see what the enemy is doing!" No one stood up because of the intense fear, hunger and cold that everyone was suffering.

The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace said the second time, "Who will go and see what the enemy is doing and return with the news!" No one stood up.

The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace said the third time, "Who will go and see what the enemy is doing and return with the news!" and added, "I shall make du'a to Allah that he should be my companion in Jannah." No one stood up.

There were 3000 sahabah, including Abu Bakr, Omar, Othman, Ali, the righteous Caliphs and among the 10 promised jannah but no one stood up. They were paralyzed by the fear, hunger and cold.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said the same thing to us. We can be his companions in Jannah if we follow his sunnah, take care of the orphans, give people their due rights, obey your parents, take care of your womenfolk, be good to your neighbor, etc. But no one stood up. At least the companions had a reasonable excuse--they couldn't even see their fingers. What is our excuse? We are not standing up and follow the command of Allah and the sunnah of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, out of our laziness or fear of embarrassment. You don't put hijab because you are afraid you will lose your friends. You don't pray because you are afraid people will look at you funny. You don't pay attention to what you eat--you eat at McDonalds and buy meat at Safeway--because your friends are doing the same. And when problems come, some couldn't understand why and some blame God.

"Hudhaifa! I want you to bring me some information from them," said the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace.

Hudhaifa continued his story, "Although I was the most frightened at the time and feeling the coldest, I left. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "O Allah, protect him from the front, from the back, from the right, from the left, from above and from beneath." I swear by Allah, that (after this du'a) every bit of fear and cold in me then left and I experience none of it.

Hudhaifa had no choice but to follow the command of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, when he was called. We too have the commands of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace. We have no choice but to follow them.

Abu Sufyan, Allah be pleased with him, the leader of the kuffar, decided to leave the battlefield and he was going to give the command but before that he said to his people, "Everyone should check who is next to him." This was make sure there was no one spying.

Hudhaifa who was now among them, began to feel the fear but remember the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, made a strong du'a for Allah to protect him. Hudhaifa instantly asked the one to his right, "Who are you?" He said, "Mu'awiyah ibn Abu Sufyan." He asked the one to his left, "Who are you?" He said, "Amr ibn Al-'As." He pretended as if he was one of them to the point the 2 forgot to ask him who he was.

The smartest 3 people in the Arab history were Mu'awiyah ibn Abu Sufyan, Amr ibn Al 'As and Mughirah ibn Sho'ba. But Hudhaifa, the most frightened one, was able to fool the smartest people in the Arab history. This is because he came with the light of Allah, followed the command of Allah and put himself under the du'a of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace. Amr ibn Al 'As, Allah be pleased with him, in later years said that, "Every time I saw Hudhaifa and remembered what he did to me (during the battle of Ahzab), I laughed."

May Allah shower us with His Light and protect us from the front, from the back, from the right, from the left, from above and from beneath. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Have No Fear

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Everyday all of us have some form of fears and anxieties. Parents fear for their kids future, fear that they might not be able to fend for themselves after they die, and even fear that they might fall into haram. A student fears of failing his exams. In the time of recession, people fear of losing their jobs. A wife might fears that her husband might take a second wife. A husband fears that his wife might run away with another guy. Travelers have anxieties that they might miss their flights while waiting in the long security line. On and on and on.

At some point you feel totally helpless as you struggle each day. Your fear and anxiety have the best of you and you don’t know where to turn for help. You went into depression. So the doctor starts prescribing an anti-depressant for you. You are not alone. America lives on prozac, they said a while back. Now they are more than prozac for you which you can get hooked on and make things worse for you.

In reality, no matter what you do, you cannot run away or hide from your fears and anxieties. These are feelings, part of being human. They come and go. Like all other feelings you are not responsible for the feelings and thoughts that come. But you are responsible for how you respond to these feelings. For example, if you like the girl next door, either you ask his father for her hand in marriage or you stop looking at her. You are responsible for not lowering your gaze and doing something haram. If you hate someone, you don't entertain that hate by slandering or backbiting or beating up that person. You are responsible for hurting that person.

Fears and anxieties stem from worrying about what will happen in the future. The prospect of not knowing if something good or bad will happen to you in the near future can produce a lot of fear and anxiety.

But if you remember that only Allah knows the future and nothing good or bad will happen without His will, it will give you comfort. So have trust in Allah.

Learn to take a moment at a time. Instead of worrying about how you will get through the rest of the day, week or coming month, try to focus on this moment. Each moment can provide us with different opportunities to learn new things and that includes learning how to deal with your problems. When the time comes, hopefully you will have learned the skills to deal with your situation.

Abu Bakr, Allah be pleased with him, was a great Companion, the most beloved of all men to the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, described the generation of his companions was the best of generation. Abu Bakr had the highest rank among the Companions. Yet, while he was in the cave of Thawr with the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, hiding from the kuffar who wanted to kill them, he became worried and frightened when he heard voices on top of the cave. There was nothing to prevent the kuffar from seeing them if they looked down from the top of the cave. It was not that he was worried for his life more than he was worried for the life of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, noticed this and said to him, "Have no fear, for God is with us."

Here, the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, was teaching us that Allah is with us. It won't remove the circumstance you are in but it put something in the hearts that Allah is with us. Try to have that feeling in your heart always. Remind yourself, Allah is with us, nothing will happen to us, no one will take our soul, except with the permission of Allah.

Allah says,

إِلَّا تَنصُرُوهُ فَقَدْ نَصَرَهُ ٱللَّـهُ إِذْ أَخْرَجَهُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ ثَانِىَ ٱثْنَيْنِ إِذْ هُمَا فِى ٱلْغَارِ إِذْ يَقُولُ لِصَـٰحِبِهِۦ لَا تَحْزَنْ إِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ مَعَنَا ۖ فَأَنزَلَ ٱللَّـهُ سَكِينَتَهُۥ عَلَيْهِ وَأَيَّدَهُۥ بِجُنُودٍ لَّمْ تَرَوْهَا وَجَعَلَ كَلِمَةَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ ٱلسُّفْلَىٰ ۗ وَكَلِمَةُ ٱللَّـهِ هِىَ ٱلْعُلْيَا ۗ وَٱللَّـهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ ﴿٤٠

If you help not (your leader), (it is no matter): for Allah did indeed help him, when the Unbelievers drove him out: he had no more than one companion; they two were in the cave, and he said to his companion, "Have no fear, for Allah is with us": then Allah sent down His peace upon him, and strengthened him with forces which ye saw not, and humbled to the depths the word of the Unbelievers. But the word of Allah is exalted to the heights: for Allah is Exalted in might, Wise.

Qur'an At-Tawba 9:40

May Allah gives us tranquility. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Setting Priorities

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Abdullah ibn Rawaha, Allah be pleased with him, was a great Companion who the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, chose to be one of the leaders in the Battle of Mut'ah against the Romans--if Zayd ibn Harith and Jaafar ibn Abdul Muttalib (Allah be pleased with them both) fell in the battle, he would take take over as the commander of the Muslim army.

The army happened to leave on Friday and Abdullah decided to first pray Jum'ah prayer at the Prophet's masjid with the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, and then leave. He would have no problem catching up with the army.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, saw him after Jum'ah prayer and asked him what had prevented him from leaving with the army.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Do you know how far ahead your companions have gone?

Abdullah replied, "Yes, they are ahead of me by half a day."

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "I swear by the Being Who controls my life, they have excelled you in virtues by a measure that is greater than the distance between the east and the west."

Abdullah was martyred at this battle after Zayd and Jaafar.

Even though Abdullah was a great companion and he is in Paradise, he had shortchanged himself in virtues by not leaving with the army when he was supposed to. He did not set his priority right. Even though, praying in Prophet's masjid and with the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, had tremendous virtue but being with the army was more virtuous. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, taught us the importance of setting our priorities, because if our actions are not in the right order, even between virtuous acts, your loss can be great, and in Abdullah's case, his loss was by the measure of the distance between the east and the west.

How can you catch up with such huge loss? Our basket is always full. There is so much to do in a day. It is easy, in the onrush of life, to become a reactor – to respond to everything that comes up, the moment it comes up, and give it your undivided attention until the next thing comes up. The feeling of loss of control over what you do and when is enough to drive you over the edge, and if that doesn’t get you, the wreckage of unfinished projects you leave in your wake will surely catch up with you.

So, setting priorities is crucial. It is a means to get you ahead. Not setting priorities will put you behind. How do you set your priorities? When you understand and realize why you are here and where you are going to end up (Hell or Paradise--what level?), then you will automatically know your priorities. You will not delay to act upon the ones that will bring you the most benefit to you in the next life. You will choose to do those tasks that bring you closer to Allah and leave those that can lead you astray and disobedience. You will not procrastinate, you will not give yourselves excuses, you will not put them off even if they are unpleasant.

Notice Abdullah did not choose to finish reading the news or watching a movie or ball game or saying good bye to his friends first. He chose to pray Jum'ah prayer in the Prophet's masjid (which by itself a great worship), but his choice caused him to lose tremendous virtues by a measure greater than between the east and the west. Imagine our loss when we put the commands of Allah and His Messenger, Allah bless him and grant him peace, in the back burner and everything else in the forefront. So, for example, when the time of prayer comes, leave everything and go and pray...don't put if off because you think there is plenty of time before the next prayer time comes.

May Allah grant us tawfiq. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

The Best Advice

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, Allah be pleased with him, was one of the early Muslims and a very close and beloved companion of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace. Sa'd is mainly renowned as the commander-in-chief of the Muslim army that the second Caliph of Islam, Omar, Allah be pleased with him, dispatched to confront the Persians at Qadisiyyah. The Sassanian power had dominated the region for centuries and Omar wanted nothing less than an end to it.

The Persians were numerous and armed to the teeth, and facing them in the field was a daunting task. A powerful force had to be mustered. Omar sent dispatches to Muslim governors throughout the state to mobilize all able-bodied persons who had weapons or mounts. Those who had other talents or skills to place at the service of the army were also called upon. Thus it was, that bands of the Mujahideen converged upon Madina from every corner of the Muslim domain.

When they had all been mustered, Omar consulted the leading Muslims about the appointment of a commander-in-chief over the army. Omar proposed himself for the position. However, Ali ibn Abi Talib, Allah be pleased with him, suggested that the Muslims were in greater need of him as the Caliph than the army was in need of his presence on the field, and that he should not endanger himself. After discussion, Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas was chosen as the commander. Abdur Rahman ibn Awf, Allah be pleased with him, one of the veterans among the Companions of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "You have chosen well! Who is there comparable to Sa'd?"

Omar stood before the great army spread around him and bade them farewell. To Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, one of the ten promised Paradise, he said, "O Sa'd! Do not allow any statement that you are the maternal uncle of the Messenger of Allah or that you are the Companion of the Messenger of Allah distract you from Allah, the Almighty. Allah Almighty does not obliterate evil with evil but He wipes out evil with good.

"O Sa'd! There is no connection between Allah and any of His Servants except obedience to Him. In the sight of Allah, all people, whether common or noble, are the same. Allah is their Lord and they are His slaves, seeking elevation through taqwa (piety) and seeking to obtain what is good through obedience. Look at the way of Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, from the time he was sent until he left us, and adhere to it, for it is the proper way. That is my advice to you, if you ignore it and turn away from it, you will be one of the losers. I am ordering you and the troops who are with you to fear Allah in all circumstances, as fear of Allah is the best weapon against the enemy, and the strongest weapon in war. I am commanding you and those who are with you to be more careful avoiding sin than avoiding your enemy. The Muslims are supported by their enemy's disobedience towards Allah. Were it not for that, we would not have any strength, as our numbers are not like theirs. If we were equally matched in sin, they would have an advantage over us in strength, and if we did not have an advantage over them by our virtue, we would not be able to defeat them by our strength."

Against the three thousand Muslims, the Persians had mobilized a force of one hundred and twenty thousand men under the leadership of Rustum, one of their most brilliant commanders. The Muslims were outnumbered by 40 to one. The battle raged for four days. The Muslim valor and skill were overshadowed by the sheer numbers of the Persians. To make matters worse, a military unit consisting of Persians mounted on elephants wrought havoc in the ranks of Muslims. The ferocious battle was only resolved when several Muslim warriors made a rush at Rustum. A storm arose and Rustum's canopy was blown into the river. As he tried to flee, he was detected and slain. The Persians fled in the complete confusion and disarray that reigned after their commander's death.

It was victory, but at a heavy price. About thirty thousand persons on both sides fell over the course of four days fighting. In one day alone, some two thousand Muslims and ten thousand Persians lost their lives. The Battle of Qadisiyyah is one of the major decisive battles in history. It sealed the fate of the Sassanian Empire just as the Battle of Yarmurk sealed the fate of the Byzantine Empire in the east.

Two years after Qadisiyyah, Sa'd went on to take Ctesiphon, the Sassanian capital, accomplished after a brilliant crossing of the Tigris while it was in flood. Sa'd has thus gone down in the annals of history as the Hero of Qadisiyyah and the Conqueror of Ctesiphon.

He lived until he was almost 80 years old. He was blessed with influence and wealth. In the year 54 A.H, when he felt his death approaching, he asked his son to open an old battered box. When his son had retrieved an equally battered coarse woolen jubbah (gown) from this box, Sa'd said, "Shroud me in this, for in this jubbah I met the mushrikin (polytheists) on the day of Badr (battle) and in it I desire to meet Allah Almighty."

Everything that happen around the Muslims is because we don't follow the Book of Allah and the sunnah of His Messenger, Allah bless him and grant him peace. We should fear our sins more than the enemy. Take heed of Omar's advice. It is you and your application of the deen that can give you success and victory.

May Allah protect us from the trials and tribulations of this life and the next. May Allah grant victory to the Muslims. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

No More Excuses

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Every time you give an excuse for not following the command of Allah and the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, Abdullah dhu al-bijadain, Allah be pleased with him, will say to you, "You have no excuse."

Abdullah dhu al-bijadain belonged to Musayna tribe. His father was the leader of the tribe. He became orphaned when he was small and his uncle took care of him. He was a very spoiled kid. By today's standard he was like a teenager owning sports cars, the fastest laptop and all new gadgets that come to the market. Among other things, he owned 2 horses and had all the comfort of dunya that others around him didn't have. The door of the dunya was opened wide to him.

He became Muslim at the age of 16. Although his uncle was good to him but when he heard that Abdullah became Muslim he took everything from him.

He learned the verses that were revealed from the Companions but later the Companions stopped teaching him because they had to emigrate to Madinah.

He used to go outside into the desert everyday to learn the deen. How about some of us? You are home on your bed and the deen come to your lap (through the internet, satellite, etc.) but you don't learn the religion, you don't follow the sunnah, you don't practice the religion like you should. Abdullah went out to the desert to pray. You have mosques all around you but you have many excuses not to go to the masjid to pray.

Abdullah didn't leave his uncle and his family right away to join the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, because he wanted to call his family to Islam and save them from Hellfire. He did this patiently for 3 years.

At the age of 19, he emigrated to Madina and joined the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace. His uncle had taken everything from him even his clothing. So he cut a large sack into 2 pieces to clothe him and so he traveled to Madina in only this 2-piece covering. He was nicknamed Abdullah dhu al-bijadain by the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, when he arrived in Madina because of what he had on him. When he met the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, he had a lot of knowledge of the deen--3 years being a Muslim under difficult situation, surrounded by community of hostile non-believers.

Many of us have been Muslims for decades and had a pretty easy (some very comfortable) life. How much do we know of this deen? Why are we not following the teachings and the sunnah of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace? Is it because you think religion is for old people? Do you think you are too young to die? Or are you thinking you will start getting your act together and start to pray, put hijab, learn and read the Qur'an, get up for night prayer, go to hajj and learn Islam seriously after you finish college or after you have a steady job or after you get married? Any excuse you have in your mind, Abdullah will tell you that it is not a valid excuse.

At age of 23, Abdullah followed the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, to Tabuk for a battle. On the way, he asked the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, to make du'a for him to die as a martyr. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, made du'a: "O Allah, make his body safe from their swords."

Abdullah had a high fever during the journey. Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, Allah be pleased with him, narrated that: It was in middle of the night that I got up and saw some activity at the fire at the edge of the camp. When I pursued the light, I saw Abu Bakr and Umar (Allah be pleased with them both) with Abdullah dhu al-bijadain who had passed away. I saw the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, digging a grave for him and and then he lied down in it. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "O Allah, I am pleased with him, so be pleased with him."

Abdullah ibn Mas'ud said, "I wish this is my grave and I have been a Muslim 15 years before him."

Abdullah died at the age of 23. The deen is here now and it has to be practiced now. We cannot run after this temporal life and destroy our next eternal life. We have to work hard and not waste any time. Death can come anytime but the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, taught is to live for the sake Allah. As long as we are doing everything for the sake of Allah--seeking knowledge, earning a living, getting married, having children, serving our parents, etc--if you do all these for the sake of Allah, you are in a state of jihad and if you die, you die a martyr. Obviously, there are ranks of shaheed. Allah knows best.

May Allah guide us and grant us righteous deeds so He loves and be pleased with us. May Allah give us tawfiq. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayer. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam.

Women's Societal Role

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Safiyya bint Abdul Muttalib, Allah be pleased with her, was the aunt of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the sister of Hamzah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, the beloved uncle of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace. She took part in the battle of Uhud and witnessed the martyrdom of Hamzah at the battle and bore it with great patience. When the Muslims were defeated and some of them began to flee from the battle, she would smite their faces with her spear and excite them to go back and fight.

In the war of the Khandaq (Trench), the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, had collected all the Muslim women in a fortress and had deputed Hassan bin Thabit, Allah be pleased with him, to look after them. The Jews, who were always on the look-out for such opportunities, to do mischief, surrounded the place and sent one of them to find out if there were any men with the women. Safiyya happened to see a Jew passed by and began circling the fortress. She said to Hassan:

"There is a Jew coming to spy on us. You go out and kill him."

Hassan, who was very good at poetry of the Arabs, said, "By Allah, you know by Allah I am unable to do that."

Safiyyah got hold of a tent peg and went outside the fortress and gave a blow on the head of the Jew that killed him on the spot. She came back and said to Hassan:

"The man is dead. I have not removed the clothes and arms from his body for reasons of modesty. Now you go and remove everything from his body. Also bring his head after severing it from the body."

Hassan was too weak-hearted to do even that. So Safiyyah herself went out again and brought his head, and threw it over the wall amidst the Jews. When the Jews saw this, they said:

"We were wondering how Muhammad could keep the womenfolk alone in this fort. Surely, there are men inside to guard the women."

Khansa' bint ‘Amr bin ash-Sharid as-Sulamiyya, Allah be pleased with her. She came with her tribe to the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, to accept Islam. She was a famous poet whose Diwān (collected poetry) has already been translated into French. She encouraged her four sons to fight in the Battle of Qadisiyya in the time of the Khilafah of ‘Umar, Allah be pleased with him, and all her four sons were martyred.

It takes emotional strength to do what these great women of Islam did. But all women have this strength. That's what Allah blessed us with--He created us to be emotionally superior (while Allah bless man with more physical strength). Imagine if we don't have this emotional strength--how could we bear the pains of bearing children? This emotional strength just need to come out in a positive way. We should use our emotional strength to further the cause of Islam, not to cry if your husband forgets to send flowers on your wedding anniversary or get all emotional when your husband forgets to buy milk on the way home from work (for example).

Imagine what would happen if Safiyya went hysterical when the only man who was supposed to protect them didn't have the courage to kill the enemy. Imagine what would happen if Safiyya didn't kill the Jewish spy or didn't think of cutting the head of the Jew and throwing it over to his friends. We should wonder if Islam would even exist today if all the women and children in the fortress were massacred. Allah knows best. All these incidents and many others in the lives of many great women in Islam happened for us to derive lessons from.

One cannot underestimate the intelligence and the contributions of women in Islam. Women of the past have charted the road for us. Women of today need to follow in their footsteps. We don't need to go very far, don't need to fight in the battlefields--raise your children properly, educate them and feed them good wholesome halal food. Be an educated mother. If only women could just focus on raising and educating their children properly, they can change the world in no time.

Unfortunately, these days some ladies can hardly able to do domestic work and some find cooking and cleaning to be demeaning--they don't get high education or marry some big shot to cook and clean. Women have to be stronger than this. There are women who want to think like men and so they work like men. They even wear suits and ties like men. (It is being indoctrinated in some schools for girls--girls wearing uniform consisting pants and ties like boys). We are not men and we cannot ever be men, although some women are forced to be the man (breadwinner) and the woman because the man is not there to provide for them. Either way, something have to go. Mothers don't have time to cook and clean, let alone teach their children. Who then is going to defend Islam when we have most people who don't know? Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un.

May Allah guide us. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

What Is Your Purpose of Life?

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

We all know why Allah created us, i.e what the purpose of our life is. It is to worship Him alone. But do we really do all that we need to do to worship Him? Certainly, praying 5 times a day and fasting in Ramadhan is not enough. It is embedded in Islam that we also help the poor through zakat and charity. This is one of the most important actions of Islam that many people fall short in.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, brought actions, not philosophy. So it doesn't matter how much you know about Islam, how much you listen to Islamic lectures, how much Qur'an and hadith you have memorized, how much you pray and fast and do dhikr, if you cannot part with some of your money to feed the hungry and spend time to help others, they are of no use.

Omar, Allah be pleased with him, when he was the Caliph, he used to walk around at night to seek the poor so he could help them. Once he helped a poor family and cooked for them without them knowing that he was Omar, the Caliph. Such were the virtues of the early Muslims and leaders of Islam.

If you have never been poor, you don't know how it is really like to be poor. If you have never been homeless, you don't know how it is really like to be homeless. But if you watch this video, inshaAllah, if you have some mercy in your heart, you will seek out for these people and help them.

Our religion is a social religion, which means we should care about other people, which means we don't have 3-5 course meals, throw away food, and enjoy our lives (as if there is no tomorrow --tomorrow could be our death/day of Judgment) while many many others are homeless and dying of starvation. The poor has the right to our wealth. And we should not deprive them of that right.

This man took action for what he believed to be the purpose of his life. How about you?

Iman (faith) wears out in the heart just like the clothes wear out. If you haven't work on building iman, even if it is good last year, it is worn out this year. Giving charity and feeding the poor will renew your iman inshaAllah. If you have never tasted homelessness, you have not tasted the bliss of home. Remember the poor and the homeless and be generous to them and inshaAllah we will have the bliss of the eternal abode without having to taste poverty and homelessness.

May Allah give us tawfiq. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

You Are What You Eat

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

I highly recommend this educational video for your entire family on Food Matters

[note: this is a one hour movie and only available for free until October 8. After that you have to buy it to view in its entirety]

An apple a day keep the doctor away...try it...make it 2, 3, or whatever you feel like chewing.

First they ignore you,
then they laugh at you,
then they fight you,
then you win.
........Mohandas Gandhi

All truth passes through three stages:
First, it is ridiculed.
Second, it is violently opposed.
Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.
........Arthur Schopenhauer

Story at-a-glance

Food Matters presents powerful evidence in support of the ancient wisdom that regards food as medicine, and offers practical solutions to the current health crisis. Modern medicine has replaced nutritious foods for chemicals in the form of drugs as the preferred mode of addressing disease, with devastating results
Nutrition alone can prevent and treat many if not most diseases, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, autoimmune diseases, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, anxiety and depression—even cancer

May Allah guide us and grant us excellent health so we can worship Him more. Ameen.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Unbiased Mind

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

The mind is a wonderful tool. If people use it in an unbiased way, they will come to the conclusion, la ilaha illa Allah--there is no god except Allah.

The universe is a proof of the existence of the Lord but many intelligent people disbelieve. Why? Because their achievements have overshadowed the greatness of the Creator.

Look at the bird for example. The aerodynamics of the bird that flies with the wings are superior than what the aerodynamics of the airplane that people designed. If they see this, they will feel humble.

This is the spiritual reaction to certain reality. When you feel big, strong, powerful and intelligent, this is not the spirit of somebody who is humbled in sujud before Allah. Certainty comes from spirituality. The closest a person is to his Lord is not when he is thinking, it is when he put his mind onto the ground, and he says, "O Allah! I submit to You in my entirety, in my mind, body and soul."

For many, there is a spiritual bias that comes into the mind and distorts the way the mind thinks and pulls them a certain way. They look for a way out--but this and but that. They can find hundreds "but" to disbelieve, because Allah left room for people to disbelieve.

When you stand before Niagara Falls, you feel small. You say SubhanAllah, Allahu Akbar. You say this from the depth of your heart. This is the great kingdom of Allah in which Allah's Majesty is manifest. We can do this by reflecting on the heavens and the earth. Through spiritual discipline you will look at the entire universe as though you look at Niagara Falls. This is when your iman has increased. It is all SubhanAllah. There is light that overspread everything. It comes from reflection and willingness to submit and you feeling small. When you realized that Allah created us this way, that you are going to die, it propels you to look for guidance. You will ask, "What does God want from me?" The Qur'an is where you go to.

Allah says,

ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبُ لَا رَيْبَ ۛ فِيهِ ۛ هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ

That is the Book, wherein is no doubt, a guidance to the Godfearing. (Qur'an Al-Baqarah 2:2)

The Light of Allah's Majesty and Power that is manifest in everything we see as a creation of Allah. Like the way you see Niagara Falls, the goal is to be like this all the time. This is not something you can arrive at by thinking and thinking but think, reach a conclusion and do something about it. Somebody who has no action, his iman is going to be weak. If one wants a strong iman, increase one's obedience and stay away from disobedience.

Remember,

كُلُّ نَفْسٍۢ ذَآئِقَةُ ٱلْمَوْتِ ۖ ثُمَّ إِلَيْنَا تُرْجَعُونَ

Every soul shall have a taste of death. In the end to Us shall you be brought back. (Qur'an Ankabut 29:57)

May Allah guide us and make us die at the highest of iman. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Looking in Hindsight

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

It is very clear that the media can shape and change people's attitude. If you have a sheep-like mentality, most people do, you can be easily influenced. As Muslims we should not quickly believe everything we hear or see in the media, but unfortunately people do, even when they say they don't. This is because the media is very clever in conveying their message--it is their job.

It is very important to check any story ourselves (especially at the detail level) before we believe it and follow the bandwagon, and be prepared to stand alone even contrary to the majority, and if you can't, don't read or watch the news because you can be easily swayed, through the subliminal messages and your lack of insight and wisdom, and you could wrong and harm yourselves. At the same time you are indirectly aiding certain people/group to further their unjust and evil agenda. If nothing else you are helping the corrupt media groups to flourish.

We should be guided by the Shari'ah in whatever we do, not by majority views, and definitely not by the media. That is why knowledge of this religion is vital.

Alhamdulillah, I always remember what a very wise person once told me when I first came to United States, and that shaped the way I do things until now. I was quite young, naive and inexperienced then and was looking for a detergent but didn't know what to choose. I remembered a commercial on TV about a particular brand and without hesitation I chose the brand. The wise person said, "don't believe the commercials" and it so happened that the brand I bought was not any better than a cheaper generic brand. That taught me a great lesson about the media. I don't read newspaper nor watch the news or TV, and I always make a point to choose no brand name or generic brands for every product I bought unless it doesn't have one. I don't buy anything based on advertisements/commercials

People often wonder where do I get my news! News are just that--a report of something that already happened. I can't do anything about it and I am not a reporter. So do I really need to spend my life for news? If it is so bad, I will hear about it. How? From those who watch the news. They are bound to be people who cannot live without watching the news--you just cannot change them or they don't receive this type of message.

All the news are pretty much telling you the same--people need help. People who need help are always present till the end of time. Just look around you, there are so many of them that you have no ability to help them all. You help as many people you can everyday regardless what the media reports. If you have so much time in your hand for the media, this time is best spent on sending blessings upon the Prophet, Allah bless and grant him peace, dhikr, thinking about how to help your community grow, read the Shama'il Muhammadiya, Allah bless him and grant him peace, or even look at the stars or your garden in your backyard as you will get a whole lot of benefit by reflecting on the creation of Allah. Mighty and Majestic.

Watch this video and tell me if you are not convinced. Don't say you are not that stupid. Perhaps, you are not, but everyone is a genius in hindsight.

May Allah guide us. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam

Read, Read, Read

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

To acquire knowledge is obligatory upon us. The first word that Allah revealed was a command, "Read", so that you know. The word still applies to us and for all time.

It is very important to have both the religious knowledge and secular knowledge. Therefore, there is no time to waste.

Knowledge is light. Light, like a lit candle, dispels darkness. Darkness represents injustice and evil. Only through knowledge, we can be just to ourselves and others.

So acquire that light. Read, Read, Read.

Every breath we take should be meaningful. Make your next breath the best breathe you take.

May Allah make us the lover of 'ilm and give us tawfiq. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam