“Today you can, tomorrow you cannot”

Assalam alaikoum wa Rahmatullaahi wa Barakaatuh,

Subhan Allah, it is as though this video is directed RIGHT AT ME! Ya Allah! Timely advice by Brother Nouman Ali Khan indeed!

It’s true, family will be the first to notice your changes and they can be your toughest critic as well! 3 years ago, when I decided to turn my life around, I was all alone in overcoming obstacles. I can understand how hard it was going through transitions on your own and even harder when your family doesn’t understand you.

Al-hamdulillah, it works when you have thick skin (hehe). I learnt the art of ‘selective hearing’ whereby I choose to listen only to positive comments. And it’s wonderful that Allah has given me the ability to smile despite being insulted. However, still… I have much to learn when dealing with the Big Bro who has tongue of a serpent- his hiss is worst than his bite! Allahu Mustaan..

I believe I have changed for the better al-hamdulillah although I’m still working on my ‘leftover jahilliyah’ traits. My family, in fact, changed for the better too even though I mentioned it was difficult at the beginning. At first, I found it quite impossible to give da’wah to my family especially since I spend many months abroad each year but al-hamdulillah, Allah guided my dad next! He became my source of support and would constantly encourage my mother to attend Islamic classes.

Still…. the issues I face before do not cease so quickly. If you’re wondering, I still get these remarks:

• Why is your hijaab so big? It makes you look short!
• Why wear the abaya when you are only meeting your Chinese friend?” (note that she is a Chinese Muslimah!)
• You look like an ustazah now! (negative connotation of course! People here have this misconception that ustazahs (or religious teachers) are uneducated!)
• Your mother doesn’t even wear abaya and yet you wear it? You look so old!
• You’re going to marry an ustadh! (implying that I’ll marry someone poor and uneducated)

This list coming from family and relatives, is not exhaustive.. I especially dislike that just because I attend religious classes now, I’m expected to be purrrrfectttt. No way, I’M ONLY HUMAN! Since when did religious classes ensure you MAKE NO MORE MISTAKES in life?

One reason why I had been pretty upset lately is due to one of my family members disapproving my muslimah friends. What have my sisters done to them or EVEN me to begin with that the particular family member have this intense hate for them? I have abandoned most of my close old friends (majority Christian friends) because they were trying to pull me to Christianity which at one point, I was greatly influenced by their beliefs. Are these old friends better for me than my current Muslimah sisters.. Subhan Allah!

Anyhow, if whatever that is being described about my life is parallel to yours, then the lecture is for you! I can attest to what Brother Nouman said in the lecture about going the extra mile for them. You’ll be surprised that your own family members would try to become better Muslims themselves..

Allahu Alam..

Travelogue: Middle East (Part 2)

Assalam Alaykoum wa Rahmatullaahi wa Barakaatuh,

As promised, Part 2 of Travelogue: Palestine. We spent almost a week al-hamdulillah and travelled to various parts to Palestine.

We arrived in Jericho for dinner. I was one of the three to be detained at the Israeli customs for an hour. We were lucky to be detained for just an hour as there were others who had been detained for 6 hours! Our tour guide told us that it is their way of ‘mentally torturing’ us so that we would think twice before visiting Palestine again. They took our passports away and took us aside for some silly questioning.

Our dinner in Jericho.. very generous servings of chicken, rice, bread, salad!

The Imaam of Masjidil Aqsa after Fajr prayers

Masjidil Aqsa in the morning before sunrise

Later in the afternoon

The remnants of the grenades used by Ariel Sharon’s army to bomb Masjid Umar in Aqsa

Prophet’s Zakaria A.S.’s mehrab

Wailing Wall

At Christian Quarter

Christians believe that Jesus A.S’s body was washed on this rock. The ladies in the picture took out their shawls, jackets and scarfs and use it to wipe on the rock

Sayidina Umar Ibn Khattab was invited to the church and when it was time to pray, he did not want to pray inside where he would be facing the cross. What he did was that he took a stone, threw it out of the window and built a masjid at the spot the stone was.

Everywhere we went, there were checkp0ints, high walls and fences which are used to restrict the movement of Arabs.

At Tel Aviv. Jaffa is on the right. One of the hotels was built on Muslim cemetery. The cemetery was exhumed and the remains were thrown in the ocean.

At Sea of Galillee or Lake Tiberias. We were at the border of Lebanon and overlooking Jordan. Jesus A.S was believed to have walked on the water and fished for the poor village. He caught two fishes and it was enough to feed everyone!

Beside the Basilica of Annunciation where Christians believe that Angel Jibreel came to inform Mary that she was expecting.

Part 3 of Travelogue: Jordan

Patience is indeed a virtue

Assalam alaikoum wa Rahmatullaahi wa Barakaatuh,

I’ve been feeling a little down lately especially due to turn of some events. Allah knows best.. But anyhoo, this video cheered me up. Allah will not test His servants more than he can handle.  This brother’s advice made me reflect on my situation and how I should not be too stressed about it since Allaah has a way of testing His believers.

Khayr insha Allah, if you are going through a rough patch, then this video is for you

Trials and tribulations

Assalam alaikoum wa Rahmatullaahi wa Barakaatuh,

“Don’t cry because of the hardships of this life, cry for the forgiveness of Allah”

“Don’t cry or feel sad because Allah will never leave you alone to suffer. He is with the believer who calls His name. He smiles to the believer who repents. He loves the believer who runs to Him in struggle. And on the day that is coming, you will see how much love and comfort to those Muslims who suffered for Him”

Subhan Allah! I find it extremely difficult living amongst people who are constantly backbiting, cursing, insulting, slandering others. Allahu Mustaan..I just want to get out ya Rabb! Living in solitude is better than being in a midst of those who encourage you to sin 😦 The only thing that brings a smile to my face is that Allah is probably testing me. In a magazine that I read, the writer said that perhaps, Allah puts you to trials because He misses your invocations; He wants to draw you closer to Him.

O Allah, give me the strength to be a ghurabaa amongst those who chooses to sin! Make me amongst those who are patient in your trials. Make me of those who remain strong in my eemaan in face of all these hardships.

Travelogue: Middle East (Part 1)

Assalam alaikoum wa Rahmatullaahi wa Barakaatuh,

I came back only 2 days ago but I feel like I left a big chunk of me behind. Is it selfish of me to say that I wish I’m back in Makkah & Madina when I just returned whilst there were 1,500 others in my country whose visas were not approved? …Doesnt make sense? 😦 Hmm..

I miss being surrounded by people who are constantly doing dhikr, reading Qur’an or just doing a good deed. No evil talk. No idling. No backbiting. Only in constant remembrance of Him. I miss being there. Period.

My heart used to ache at the thought of wanting to be in Masjidil Haram and Nabawi badly. And now that I’m back, it’s starting to hurt once more.. ya Allah! Invite me to Your house once more.. I yearn to be there again. I want to be around mukmins so that I can be one of them. =,(

A sister asked me this question today: Do you feel different after Umrah?

I can’t tell if I have changed even slightly. Allah knows best but time will tell if my umrah is mabrur. You can tell that umrah is mabrur if a person comes home better than he was before performing umrah and he consistently does good deeds and avoid munkar till he dies. May He accept our umrah and good deeds.. Allahu Mustaan.

We took an 8hr flight to Riyadh, an hour transit and then 2hrs flight to Jeddah. Upon reaching, the coach was waiting for us and we spent 5hrs to reach Madina. We reached just in time for Fajr at Masjid Quba’ (Pic).

I didn’t take any pics of Masjid Nabawi since women are not allowed to enter with handphones/cameras. Also, we were there for just a day so time was a factor. Subhan Allaah, Masjid Nabawi is so gorgeous btw!!

We left for Makkah the next morning and were there for 3 days. There were some problems with our visa. Initially we were granted almost a week in Makkah & Madina but Saudi only gave us 3 days in Makkah & Madina. Our ustadh managed to plead to the Saudi embassy to extend our visa and al-hamdulillah we were granted an extra day in Makkah. Pic: Anyway, that’s the view of Masjidil Haram from our room 🙂 Al-hamdulillah..

Pic: Managed a quick snap after doing tawaf!

Pics: Masjidil Haram at night before maghrib prayers

My dad mentioned something interesting. He said that despite hundreds of pigeons at Masjidil Haram, he has never seen birds perched on Ka’abah. Neither did he see bird droppings on it. That’s just his observation..

Pic: Sa’i – safar to marwar.

Pic: My mom found it difficult to spot me in Bin Dawood where 70-80% women inside then were in all black w niqaab. LOL.

We did our tawaf wida’ on the 4th day at 4am since our flight to Jordan was at 10am.  I was already tearing a little at the thought of leaving Makkah but when the first athan for Fajr started, I broke down. I just couldnt hold back my tears anymore when reality suddenly hit me that I won’t be there until Allah wills it that I come back =,( Al-hamdulillah, at least I was given the opportunity to visit both places that I’ve come to love.

Pic: It took about 2hrs to reach Jordan from Jeddah

Our Jordanian tour guide greeted us at the airport and brought us to a gift shop where we bought souvenirs and later placed our big luggages there since we were travelling light to Palestine. Pic: Found this intriguing.. Christians believe that Jesus A.S was baptised in Jordanian river thus this water is sold for baptism.

Jordan Valley

More pics of Jordan Valley.

Down the Jordan Valley headed straight for Israeli customs.

Part 2: In Palestine 🙂

Backkkkk!!

Assalam alaikoum wa Rahmatullaahi wa Barakaatuh!

Al-hamdulillah, I’m back after 12 days of travelling 🙂 I had a FANTASTIC time but a rather exhausting one as well. Imagine covering so many places all at once!

In case you didn’t read my previous post about this trip; I went on a tour to Makkah – Madina – Palestine – Jordan. We did our Umrah first, took a flight to Jordan then entered Palestine through Allenby Bridge (Or King Hussein- I think the name is just to please Jordanians really when actually the Israelis control the border!).

I really have loads to share with everyone especially my experience in Palestine. You can say that it was an eye opener for me and everyone who went. The news we watch on television about Palestinians being ‘terrorists’ for throwing rocks at the soldiers must be balling *mad* if anyone actually believed it. If everyone has the opportunity to BE THERE and SEE WITH THEIR VERY OWN EYES they’ll know that the Palestinians have literally nothing since they live in poverty whilst the Yahudis have all the luxury. They use rocks as their weapon which I daresay, is very useless compared to the high tech gadgets given by country-not-to-be-mentioned.

My next few posts will be about my trip insha Allah but I’ll try to make it less politically charged like I would (heh) in previous blogs. I’ll share my experiences and you’ll be your own judge 🙂

Jangan menipu Allah dengan tudung

Assalam alaikoum wa Rahmatullaahi wa Barakaatuh,

A fantastic article I found with regards to Muslimahs who wear hijaab but still does the munkar. The title itself in English – Don’t lie to Allaah with hijaab. It’s a longggg article but if you understand Malay then take a look at it. If not, then I’ll summarise some important points from the article when I return insha Allaah.

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Awal tahun 80 an dahulu, tidak ramai wanita yang bertudung. Ketika itu wanita bertudung terpaksa menghadapi cabaran yang besar kerana sering menjadi bahan umpatan masyarakat. Mereka dituduh ekstreem, sesat dan ketinggalan zaman. Bahkan ada juga yang mengatakan itu fesyen ara Arab padang pasir. Kita tidak pelik hal begini boleh terjadi. 

Ini disebabkan masyarakat jahil terhadap hukum menutup aurat sehingga mereka tidak dapat menerima, malah memandang serong terhadap syariat menutup aurat. Berkat kesabaran wanita-wanita yang bertudung diwaktu itu, akhirnya masyarakat semakin sedar dan faham bahawa memakai tudung itu adalah untuk memenuhi tuntutan syariat. Seperkara yang menarik di waktu itu, apabila seseorang wanita itu bertudung, maka akan nampak beza tingkah lakunya berbanding dengan wanita yang tidak menutup aurat dan peribadinya sendiri sebelum memakai tudung.

Kalau dahulu dia senang bergaul bebas dengan lelaki, tetapi bila sudah bertudung, pandangannya sudah mula ditundukkan, bercakap dengan lelaki pun jarang sekali, tidak seronok malah tidak menghadiri majlis yang ada percampuran bebas lelaki dan perempuan, tidak suka berkeliaran di tempat-tempat awam, cenderung untuk mendalami ilmu-ilmu Islam, suka untuk beribadah, akhlak dan tutur katanya menjadi semakin lembut dan lunak. Suka menolong orang, bibir sentiasa menguntum senyum sebagai sedekah sesama muslim, sedia membantu kesusahan orang lain, sudah benci kepada kemewahan dunia, tahan diuji dan sentiasa mencari-cari peluang untuk mengajak masyarakat wanita yang lainnya agar sama-sama menutup aurat.

Lantaran berbezanya mereka dengan wanita yang lain, maka orang pandang tinggi kepada wanita yang bertudung, walaupun masih ramai yang tidak suka kepada mereka. Waktu itu, kalau wanita sudah sanggup bertudung, ertinya di dalam dadanya sudah ada sedikit sebanyak ilmu- ilmu agama. Sekurang-kurangnya dia sudah hafal dalil-dalil Al Quran dan hadith mengenai hal penutupan aurat.Ini disebabkan mereka sering dihujani dengan berbagai pertanyaan mengenai apa yang mereka buat. Untuk menjawapnya, mereka sudah bersedia memberi jawapan yang sesuai dengan nas Al Quran dan hadith untuk menyakinkan orang ramai. Oleh sebab itu orang ramai memandang tinggi kepada mereka.

Di awal 90 an, bilangan orang bertudung semakin ramai. Di mana- mana sahaja kita boleh bersua dengan wanita yang bertudung. Sama ada di kilang-kilang, di sekolah, di stesen bas, di pejabat, di universiti dan di politeknik malah beberapa pengacara televisyen dan radio pun sudah memakai tudung. Tetapi yang menyedihkan, kalau dahulu wanita bertudung tidak akan ditemui di taman-taman bunga, di tempat- tempat hiburan, berpegangan tangan dengan teman lelaki, dipanggung wayang atau kalau dahulu wanita bertudung bersih mukanya daripada calaran alat-alat make up, tetapi kini dengan mudah kita boleh jumpa wanita bertudung berpeleseran dengan teman lelaki di tempat-tempat sedemikian. Tudung berwarna warni mengikut fesyen sesuai dengan aliran zaman dan fesyen baju. Kadang-kadang pakai tudung pun tidak sempurna mengikut syariat. Kadang-kadang macam nak terlondeh. Antara hendak tutup dan hendak buka. Akhlak dan tutur katanya kasar, malah kadang kala lebih buruk daripada mereka yang tidak memakai tudung atau buka aurat.

Sesetengahnya bertudung tetapi tidak sembahyang. Imej wanita bertudung telah tercemar dengan wanita-wanita yang menjadikan tudung sebagai fesyen atau terpaksa pakai kerana mengikut peraturan. Kalau dahulu bila wanita itu bertudung, automatik dia sudah malu ke panggung wayang, malu untuk berasmara, malu untuk ke tempat hiburan dan sebagainya. Tetapi kini tudung sudah tidak mempunyai peranan untuk mencegah manusia dari terjerumus ke dalam lembah maksiat.

Bila direnung-renung mengapa hal ini boleh terjadi, maka jelaslah wanita- wanita yang bertudung pada hari ini jahil mengenai tujuan dan peranan pemakaian tudung. Ramai wanita yang memakai tudung pada hari ini kerana terikut-ikut dengan suasana. Mereka lihat adik beradik, teman sekolah, teman pejabat atau jiran telah ramai memakai tudung, maka timbul rasa malu kerana mereka sahaja yang masih tidak bertudung. Lantaran itu mereka mengambil keputusan untuk memakai tudung, walaupun hati tidak berapa menyetujuinya. Kini masyarakat telah menerima wanita yang pakai tudung. Ujian sudah tidak besar. Kadang kala orang lelaki yang hendak berkahwin pun memberi syarat, wanita yang hendak dikahwininya mestilah bertudung.

Setengahnya apabila mereka melihat wanita lain memakai tudung lebih canti dan manis, mereka pun hendak memakainya, tanpa mengetahui tentang ilmunya, mengapa mesti pakai tudung. Ada juga yang terpaksa memakai tudung kerana desakan keluarga atau suami. Ada yang mahu menjadikan tudung macam fesyen. Sekejap pakai, sekejap buka.Lantaran itulah nilai orang yang bertudung pada hari ini sudah menurun. Sudah tidak semahal wanita yang bertudung awal-awal dahulu. Hanya wanita yang berpurdah yang belum kelihatan berjalan-jalan di taman bunga atau di tempat-tempat hiburan. Mungkin taraf berpurdah sama dengan wanita yang bertudung dengan wanita yang memakai tudung diperingkat awal dahulu. Sesuatu amalan yang dilakukan kalau bukan atas dasar ilmu dan yakin serta faham apa yang mereka perbuat akan nampak ganjil dan pincang hasilnya. Sesuatu yang di buat bukan dari hati yang ikhlas, walau pun nampak hebat tetapi semuanya kosong. Tiada nilai di sisi Allah.

Wanita yang pakai tudung selain daripada keinginan untuk menutup aurat, tidak akan dapat berbohong dengan Allah walaupun di di dunia mereka berjaya membohongi mata manusia mengatakan mereka juga sudah menutup aurat. Tetapi di akhirat nanti, niat sebenat dan apa yang ada di dalam hati mereka akan diselongkar dan di dedahkan oleh Allah dipadang Makhsyar di hadapan jutaan umat manusia.

Rasulullah s.a.w pernah ditanya oleh seorang sahabat :
” Ya Rasulullah Dengan apakah mencapai keselamatan kelak ?”

Jawab Nabi s.a.w : “Jangan menipu Allah.”

Orang itu bertanya lagi : ” Bagaimana menipu Allah ?”

Jawab baginda ” Iaitu mengerjakan apa yang diperintahkan oleh Allah, tetapi tidak kerana Allah.”

Di samping tiada niat untuk menutup aurat dengan bertudung akan ditolak oleh Allah, wanita yang berniat untuk menutup aurat dengan tudung tetapi tudungnya berfesyen sehingga menarik lelaki memandangnya, atau pun tudung yang dipakainya tidak memenuhi syarat menutup aurat yakni bertudung tetapi masih nampak pangkal leher, bermakna dia belum lagi sempurna menutup aurat, malah semakin berdosa kalau dengan memakai tudung yang berfesyen itu menyebabkan lelaki jatuh hati. Dikala itu tudung bukan menjadi alat untuk menutup aurat, tetapi menjadi alat untuk berhias. Wanita begini bukan mendapat pahala dengan menutup aurat tetapi mendapat dosa.

Bahaya besar kalau beramal bukan kerana ilmu tetapi kerana mengikut masyarakat dan peredaran zaman. Sementara yang mengamalkan syariat kerena pengaruh sekeliling, hanya mampu bertahan atau beramal selagi dia berada di dalam suasana begitu. Tetapi bila dia terkeluar dari kelompok masyarakat, dia sudah tidak mampu bertahan dan turut hanyut dengan masyarakat di sekitarnya. Ujian yang sedikit sahaja mampu menggoyangkan imannya. Oleh itu kalau hendak mendapat keredhaan Allah, maka seseorang itu mestilah berilmu dengan apa yang dilakukannya. Jesteru itu menuntut ilmu adalah perkara yang utama sebagai penyuluh ibadah.

Di samping ada ilmu, amalan yang dilakukan hendaklah diniatkan kerana Allah bukan kerana yang lain dari itu. Kita mesti bina keyakinan di dalam diri kitadan mempunyai kefahaman yang mendalam agar kita tidak mudah tergugat apabila datang ujian, betul di dalam tindakan dan bersabar di dalam apa jua kesusahan.

Nota: Renung-renungkanlah wahai wanita yang berada di luar sana. Jangan memakai tudung hanya ingin mengikut fesyen semata-mata…

Taken from: Hanan.com.my

Healthy Heart

Assalam alaikoum wa Rahmatullaahi wa Barakaatuh

The “healthy heart” is one of the criteria for success in the next life. Allaah said:

يَوۡمَ لَا يَنفَعُ مَالٌ۬ وَلَا بَنُونَ (٨٨) إِلَّا مَنۡ أَتَى ٱللَّهَ بِقَلۡبٍ۬ سَلِيمٍ۬ 

“On a day that neither wealth nor children will benefit, except one who comes to Allaah with a healthy heart.” (Soorah ash-Shu’araa, 26:88-9)

The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi salam) also prayed for a healthy heart during his regular prayers.

Shaddaad ibn Aws reported that Allaah’s Messenger (sallallahu alayhi salam) used to say in his salaah:

Allaahummaa innee as’alauka ath-thabaata fil-amri wal-’azeemata ’alar-rushi wa as’aluka shukra ni’matika wa husna ’ibaadatika wa as’aluka qalban saleeman wa lisaanan saadiqan wa as’aluka min khayri maa ta’lamu wa a’oothu bika min sharri maa ta’lamu wa astaghfiruka limaa ta’lam

[O Allaah! I ask You for the firmness in my affairs and drive for righteouness. And I ask You for gratitude for Your blessings and goodness in worshipping You. And I ask You for a healthy heart and a truthful tongue. And I ask You from the bset of what You know and I seek refuge in You from the evil of what You know and I ask Your forgiveness for what You know].

(Da’eef Sunan an-Nasaa’ee, p.45, no.80, Sunan at-Tirmithee, Kitaab: da’awaat- weak)

Signs of a Pure and Healthy Heart

Ibn al-Qayyim meantioned the following points in this regard:

• One considers himself as belonging to the next world and not this world. He is stranger in this world anxious to reach his abode in the Hereafter.
• One continues to be upset with himself any time he commits a sin until he finally and completely repents to Allaah.
• One is more upset and unhappy if he misses his daily recitation of the Qur’aan and thikr, than if had lost his wealth.
• One finds greater pleasure in worshipping Allaah than any pleasure in eating and drinking.
• One’s worries and concerns about this world leave him whenever he begins his formal prayers
• One’s only concern and worries are concerning Allaah and doing deeds only for His sake.
• One is more concerned about the correctness of his deeds than with the performance of the deeds themselves.

(Ighaathah al-Lahfaan, vol. 1, pp. 70-3 quoted in Commentary on the Forty Hadith of al-Nawawi, vol. 1, pp. 471-2)

**Transcribed from A commentary on Ibn Taymiyyah’s Essay on the Heart by Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips

Dear Sister..

Assalam alaikoum wa Rahmatullaahi wa Barakaatuh

Dear Sisters, when you choose to wear your hijaab as a sign of obeying your Lord and not because of your husband or father, when you, full of pride, choose to live this life as a real muslima only then have you delivered the ultimate evidence of the authencity of your imaan (belief).

Dear Sisters, by upholding the Islamic requirements of clothing it is impossible for the other to treat you as a piece of flesh because of this, there remains no other option for someone except to judge you according to your skills, intelligence and qualities and not your outward appearance. You are most honourable, you are like a flower in the desert, a rainbow in the night when you distinguish yourself from the rest by observing the rules of Allaah. I can say on behalf of all the Muslims, that you with your modesty, righteousness and Islamic appearance, are the colour in our dark days. You with your persevarance, strong will and irrefutable belief, have set about the same way as the women of the Prophet peace be upon him and the other believing women of his time. You have loosened and freed yourself form what others think and consider the only thing that is counts with you is the pleasure of your Lord. The only thing you still care about is how does He, the Almighty, considers me? Have I fulfilled His expectations?

You are special in a way you pay attention to Islamic rules ; You have set for yourself one target the highest level that you can find in Paradise and that is al-Firdaus the highest!

Dear Sister, you are like a beaming light in the darkness, a shinning pearl. You are the light that shows the way to others, you always carry with you the good and emit this to others. Dear sisters, the hijaab is not a symbol of oppression as a matter of fact it is a symbol of freedom! And I say it again: ‘of freedom!’. By wearing the hijaab, you choose not to live any more under the conception of the people and propositions that are forced upon us by mortals like you and I. By wearing hijaab, you choose to shape your own life course and to live according to the life prescribed by Allaah. You have chosen to live no longer as a servant to the people but simply to be a servant of Allaah, the Lord of the people. By wearing the hijaab, you choose to be in a continuous state of worship. Every second that a Muslimah pass while wearing a hijaab is one of a worship.

And dear sister, it is Islaam that has admiration and awe for you that expresses itself in a way that it has guarded your dignity and feminity. It is the Islaam that has set itself as a barrier on the way of the one that wants to make a play of you as a product to enrich himself. It is Islaam that has taken you in protection by keeping the doors closed for anyone that just want to use you, only wants to abuse you for his own enjoyment and fun.

Dear Sister, the biggest injustice that is done to you is when the truth is twisted and you are made to think that chastity and piousness are signs of backwardness and oppression while immorality and abject practises and the wickedness are presented as a sign of progressiveness and enlightenment. This is how it goes these days, when a woman is holding on to the Islamic dress code then she is considered as a woman who is foolish and when a woman who uncovers, and walks ‘naked’, this is seen as a sign of emancipation. These things are signs of progressiveness according to them.

And dear sister, if you are hated by the people around you because of your modesty, because of adherence to the rules of Allaah, becauce of wearing your hijaab, then know that the Lord of these people is showering His blessings upon you. And also know that the irritations and hate that these people feel in their hearts because of the fact that you are well-behaved, reason is for you to rise in a higher rank in Paradise. So when they feel hate towards you because you stick by the Islamic clothing code that is a reason for you to rise a little higher in rank with Allaah, the Sacred, the AlMighty.

You are the hope that the ummah holds upon.

You are the flame that can let our hearts burn.

You are the light that can expel the darkness.

You are the rain that can break the drought.

You are the daughter of Khadijah, ‘Aaishah, Hafsah and Khawlah, may Allaah be pleased with them that have left marks in the history.

So dear sisters, do not let them drive you mad. Allah subhanAllah ta’alah has honoured you. Allah subhanAllah ta’alah has given you a high status and is guarding your chastity and that is why He has prescribed those rules, that is why He has prescribed hijaab for you. And if you maintain that, then know that you will get with that the Pleasure of Allaah the Sacred the Exalted that you will be considered for Paradise.

Dear sisters, you are very dear and valuable to Allah and us. If Prophet, peace be upon him, were to see you, wouldn’t love to make him smile by preserving the Islamic clothing showing that even 1430 years later we are still strangers?

*Taken from a lecture by Abou Ismail; I apologize for the sentence structure since it is translated from Deutch to English.

 

Sincerity

Assalam alaikoum wa Rahmatullaahi wa Barakaatuh

It is often said “do it for Allah’s sake” but how many of us are able to perform good deeds feesabilillah without mixing our intentions with worldly desires? Sincerity is undeniably difficult to attain however, we should strive towards it just like kushoo’ in our prayers. It requires effort and lots of dua but  not an impossible feat insha Allah. I came across an article about Sincerity and insha Allah it will be of benefit to all of us.

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In the Name of Allâh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

If one does a Google search on “how to be smart”, it yields 254,000,000 results in 0.34 seconds, with thousands of tips on how to exercise smart choices in every aspect of life—from genomes to cars to clothes to kids to votes to money to FTP servers.

If one runs the same search on “how to be sincere”, the top links the search engine comes up with, are software consultants and watches that go by the brand name Sincere, and a definition of the word in Merriam Webster’s online dictionary.

It’s a clear sign of the times – the world values smart people more than sincere ones. Well-dressed, well-heeled, well-spoken individuals score more brownie points socially, are more popular and more likely to be successful in whatever they set out to do—regardless of what they may be like within.
People in the public eye hire image consultants to make them ‘look good’, who monitor everything about the individual’s public persona – the way they speak, the clothes they wear, the food they endorse, the places they are seen at, the causes they espouse.

Not just public personalities, even ordinary people are within the purview of image experts. Jo Anna Nicholson, author of five self-help books, including Dressing Smart for Men and Dressing Smart for Women has made a fortune out of telling others how to dress and act so that they make an “instant impression” on prospective employers and spouses. Her books include chapters on “Looking As If You Don’t Have a Clue”, “How to Look Accidentally Good” and “Looking Promotable.”

Popular magazines and websites abound with pseudo-psychoanalytical articles on what one’s clothes, hair, jewellery or accessories are saying about a person, and how people can carefully tailor their appearance to create maximum impact.

Contrast this with the attitude of the early Muslims.

When the Muslims opened Jerusalem, the Christians refused to give the city’s keys to anyone except the Caliph. So ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab, may Allaah be pleased with him, set off from Madeenah to Jerusalem. His entourage? One attendant and a mule, which they took turns to ride.

It happened to be the attendant’s turn to ride on the day they were to reach Jerusalem. The attendant volunteered to give up his turn because it would look “awkward in the eyes of the people” if he rode and the Chief of the Believers walked. ‘Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, refused, saying: “yakfeenaa sharaful Islaam – the honour of Islaam is enough for us.”

On the way, while walking across a muddy area, ‘Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, took off his footwear, put it under his arm and raised his clothes so they wouldn’t get muddy. When Abu Ubaydah, may Allaah be pleased with him, who was one of the commanders waiting for him saw this, he ran to ‘Umar asking him to ride his horse while entering the city. He said they were in a land where the quality of clothes reflected the rank of people.

‘Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, replied: “I wish someone other than you had said that. Have you forgotten that we were a lowly people and it was Islaam that made us honourable? If we seek honour from anything other than Islaam, Allaah will return us to that state of lowliness.”

For proof regarding the fulfillment of this prophecy, one only has to look around: Muslims are being humiliated, subjugated and oppressed by the very system and people whose ways they seek to emulate, in preference to the Sunnah of their Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, and the example of those whom Allaah was pleased with.

It’s true, cultivating “coolness” has more immediate pay-offs than cultivating sincerity. Wearing the latest brands and hanging out at the most-happening places is the ticket to gaining entry into the ‘with-it’ crowd – the people with the wittiest repartees, trendiest hairstyles and clothes, fanciest cars and gizmos— who spend a considerable amount of time and energy trying to stay abreast of the latest trends. As opposed to this ‘magic circle’, seen from the outside, the company of sincere people seems unglamorous, even boring.

But scratch deeper, and the truth surfaces.

People who try to fit in with a superficial world that subscribes to ever-changing fads, soon discover that the hollowness of their world finds an echo deep within. A deep-seated dissatisfaction with oneself takes a person to stylists, therapists, counsellors, or land them in rehabilitation centers and psycho wards, and many even commit suicide for frugal worldly reasons. Realize that make-up and makeovers can’t change one’s personality. They merely reinforce the belief that a person is incapable of being appreciated for themselves, they must use other people’s advice instead of their own judgment to be successful, they must adopt someone else’s idea of beauty to be acceptable in the eyes of others.

How cool is that?

On the other hand, people who set out on the straight and narrow, choosing substance over style, seeking to please Allaah as opposed to pleasing people, may not find their popularity ratings soar—quite the opposite, in fact. Yet, they get strength in the certainty of their belief, that their reward is with Allaah in the Hereafter.

What are the signs that a person is seeking to build an ‘image’ instead of developing true faith by their deeds?

In his book, Riyaa: The Hidden Shirk, Abu Ammaar Yasir Qadhi writes: “Linguistically riyaa comes from the root “ra’aa” which means to see, to behold, to view. The derived word ‘riyaa’ means “eye-service, hypocrisy, dissimulation; dissemblance.” From a sharee`ah point of view, it means “to perform acts which are pleasing to Allaah, with the intention of pleasing other than Allaah.”

The primary cause of riyaa is a weakness in faith (eemaan). When a person does not have strong faith in Allaah, he will prefer the admiration of people over the pleasure of Allaah.”

There are three symptoms that are indicative of riyaa, and it is essential that a believer avoid all of them.

* The love of praise : A hadeeth mentions the first three people being thrown into hellfire—the scholar (who taught for fame), the martyr (who fought for fame), and the person who gave his money in charity (so people would say he is generous). All three of these people desired the pleasure of people over the pleasure of Allah. The person who desires the praise of people must feel some pride in himself, for he feels himself worthy of being praised. There is a danger, therefore, of him becoming arrogant and boastful.

* Fear of criticism: No one likes to be criticised.
The dislike of criticism regarding religious practices may be divided into two categories:
The first category is that of a person who neglects a commandment of Allaah in order to avoid the criticism of his peers. However, the true believers are described in the Qur’aan as follows: “…They do not fear the criticism of those who criticise. And this is the blessing of Allah; He gives it to whomsoever He wishes. Verily, Allaah is Self-Sufficient, all Knowing. “ [Al-Maa`idah : 54]
The second category is that of a person who obeys certain commandments of Islaam, not for the sake of Allaah, but because he fears people will look down upon him and criticise him if he does not do it. For example, a man may make his formal prayers in the mosque because he does not want people to criticise him for praying at home, or to think that he is not praying at all.

* Greed for people’s possessions
If a person covets what other people possess—whether it is rank, money or power, then he will wish them to envy him similarly. For example, if he is jealous of a certain person’s position in society, he will try by every possible means to attain the same position. Such desires lead people to spend their lives putting on a show for other people so that they will admire their rank, money, or power.”

How does one go about seeking sincerity?

Tameem ad-Daaree, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said thrice (to lay stress): The Deen is naseehah (sincerity and sincere advice).” We said: To whom? He said: “To Allaah, His Book, His Messenger and to the leaders of the Muslims and the general people.” [ Saheeh Muslim]

Imaam an-Nawawee, may Allaah have mercy on him, has a lengthy commentary on this hadeeth in Sharh Saheeh Muslim, in which he says:

“Sincerity to Allaah means having faith in Him… avoiding disobedience to Him, to love for His sake and to hate for His sake, to keep good relations with those that obey Him and to have enmity with those that envy Him. To recognise His ever abundant favours and to give thanks to Him for them.

“..sincerity to the general Muslims … is to guide them to what is beneficial for them, both in the Hereafter and this life. To keep harm away from them, to teach them that which they are ignorant of regarding the Deen… to help them by words and actions, to hide their faults and to fulfill their needs and wants; to remove that which is harmful for them and to bring that which is of benefit to them; enjoin them with good and forbid them from evil, with gentleness, sincerity and compassion for them.
Having respect for their elderly and mercy for their young. To give them good admonition, not acting deceitfully towards them. To love the good things for them, which he would love for himself. To hate the bad things for them, which he would hate for himself. To protect their wealth and reputation and encourage and advise them to take on the character of all that we have mentioned, form all the types of sincerity…”

If you skipped the last three paragraphs, I urge you to scroll up and read them slowly and carefully – they contain the prescription to our problems as an Ummah.

As Muslims, our main concern is not to score points over each other — it is to help each other gain Allaah’s pleasure.

As Muslims, our supplication is: Allaahummaa ij’al baatinanaa khayran min dhaahirina; wa-ija’al dhaahiranaa khayran [O Allaah! Make the hidden aspects of our personality better than our outer persona; and make our appearance good]—how can we assume vicegerency over the Earth when we fail to be sincere slaves to our Lord; when we are concerned with outward appearances more than the state of our Imaan, which is in our souls/hearts?

by Umm Rashid from IslamicAwakening.com