Where is Allah Ta'ala?

Where is Allah?

 

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects. Then the Barber said, "Young man, you will look smart with your beard off, do you want me to remove it?". Politely he told the Barber, 'It is a sunnah(practice)of my Beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and Allah would love that I follow His Messengers (pbuh)noble example. The Barber raised his voice and said:"I don't believe that Allah exists."

"Why do you say that?" asked the customer. "Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that Allah doesn't exist. Tell me, if Allah exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children?

If Allah existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving Allah who would allow all of these things."The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop.

Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt.

The customer turned back and entered the barbershop again and he said to the barber:"You know what? Barbers do not exist."

"How can you say that?" asked the surprised barber."I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!

"No!" the customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside."

"Ah, but barbers DO exist! That's what happens when people do not come to me."

"Exactly!" affirmed the customer. "That's the point! Allah, too, DOES exist! That's what happens when people do not go to Him and don't look to Him for help. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."

Allah does indeed exist and we need to turn to Him to acquire universal peace and happiness.

 

Allah Ta'ala says:

"Whithersoever ye turn, there is the presence of Allah. For Allah is all-Pervading, all-Knowing." (Quran:2:115)

"If you love Allâh, then follow me(Muhammad), Allâh will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allâh is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful"(Quran3:31).

Another year gone....

Another year gone....

 

Staring at the calendar it's impossible not to notice that there are just two pages left on the calendar and November is almost over. Where did the time go? Where did the year go? What did we do with the time? Questions without answers, but there are answers. The answers are in how we spend our time. Every one of us is given the same 24hours in a day, the same 86'400 minutes for the year. What we choose to do with it is entirely up to us. As the adage goes:

            Bad News is that time flies. The good news is that you are the pilot.

More than the time lost are the lost moments. Opportunities to share precious moments lost when we focussed on 'more important' things. Events and objects that we have attached importance to and given them a valuable space in a major part of our lives – our jobs, careers, enjoyment are all important but not as important as the people around us. To date no one has been recorded as saying while on his deathbed "I should have spent more time at the office."  This touching story brings the point home with stark reality:

While at the park one day, a woman sat down next to a lady on a bench near a playground. "That's my son over there," she said, pointing to a little boy in a red sweater who was gliding down the slide.

"He's a fine looking boy" the lady said. "That's my daughter on the bike in the white dress." Then, looking at her watch, she called to her daughter. "What do you say we go, Melissa?"

Melissa pleaded, "Just five more minutes, Mum Please? Just five more minutes."

The lady nodded and Melissa continued to ride her bike to her heart's content. Minutes passed and the mother stood and called again to her daughter. "Time to go now?"

Again Melissa pleaded, "Five more minutes, Mum. Just five more minutes."

The lady smiled and said, "OK."

"My, you certainly are a patient mother," the woman responded.

The lady smiled and then said, "Her older brother Tommy was killed by a drunk driver last year while he was riding his bike near here. I never spent much time with Tommy and now I'd give anything for just five more minutes with him. I've vowed not to make the same mistake with Melissa. She thinks she has five more minutes to ride her bike. The truth is, I get five more minutes to watch her play."

Life is all about making priorities, what are your priorities?
Give someone you love 5 more minutes of your time today. So drop the pens, pots, money and just make the time to give someone you love a call or a hug just for the pleasure of Allah Ta'ala That opportunity may not arise again so grab it and make it a moment to remember. . And give thanks to Allah that He granted us such special people in our lives – people without whom life would be constrained and devoid of pleasure.

Time is not about counting the moments but about making the moments count.

The Year End Party…

The Year End Party…

By Abu Muhammad Yusuf

 

 

 

 

Sharifa gazed at herself in mirror as she applied the final touches of make-up. A highly qualified Chartered Accountant, she remarkably climbed the corporate ladder in just a few years. She surely wanted her presence felt at her Company's Year-End Function. After all the CEO was flying in from the USA and she was to be seated right next to the local MD Mr William Cook.

 

The night had arrived and she wanted to be sure to shed her old title of being too "conservative and anti-social" as it tendered to hinder her career. That was precisely the reason she stopped donning her hijab(scarf) a few months ago. She felt that it impeded her progress. Tonight she was going to let her hair down!

 

She arrived in her latest BMW coupe scantly dressed turning heads,eyes and noses as she made her way to the function hall. Her perfume could be smelt a mile away. It was a night of glitz and glamour with many prominent socialites present.

 

Seated next to the MD Mr William Cook she listened attentively to some of the pre-party speeches, and the comedians were really hilarious. As William went to the podium to deliver his speech she gave him a supportive hug. Then there were moments of light entertainment before the actual bash kicked-off. William had been consuming alcohol and offered Sharifa a drink. She smiled and politely declined. Being brought up in a religious and conservative Muslim home she knew alcohol was a no no!

 

Sharifa was climbing the corporate ladder really fast and wanted to reach the top, irrespective of the cost. She was passionate about her career. It came well before her husband, baby and religion. Her baby was in a day care centre. Being at the top was her clear ambition. It was William's approval and signature that she urgently needed to move to the next tier.

 

A party atmosphere erupted in the room and the music blared out causing even the spoons to vibrate. William was soon completely inebriated and started loosing himself. William offered Sharifa a drink of wine. She thought for a moment and said to herself "its just a one glass and it will definitely not make me drunk and to refuse will be indeed so anti-social." She took the tall wine glass smiled and slowly sipped as the party fever raged.

 

It was now close to midnight. She faintly heard her mobile ring. Over 7 missed calls from her husband. She honestly thought she will call back when things are a bit more quiet and relaxed. Her husband, as was now a custom, stayed at home to look after their cute little baby Fatima. He never really approved of attending parties, not that Sharifa cared.

 

William insisted that she have a little more. She responded "ok just a little more", can't do much harm she thought. Being a teetotaller, in a short while the wine completely intoxicated her…she now lost control of herself and behaved like a party animal responding to William's passionate and intimate moves…

 

Soon they were on their way to William's car where he promised her the most memorable romantic moonlight drive. He stopped the car at a nearby park where he made very intimate passes and touched her at places she knew was so incorrect. She was now a bit more sober and began to realise her folly. As he tried to kiss her passionately she pushed him away. He was deeply angered and drunk and in a fit of fury, started the car, driving recklessly like a maniac. He now appeared to be the devil incarnate. Swearing and cursing her. He failed to stop at the traffic lights..she begged him, implored him to slow down but he became more rebellious and aggressive. Reeking of alcohol he now drove even faster. He had no control over the car and himself. She began to cry…

 

He swerved into the opposite lane and there was a huge bang… there were definitely two cars involved…it seemed the world had come to an end…she heard voices.

It was now well passed midnight. Good Samaritans ushered around them trying to pull them from the wreck. She heard one saying, " Oh no in the other car the driver is crushed to death!"

Than came the sound of sirens. Breathing became difficult. The fire fighters and paramedics huddled around her and frantically applied device after device. 'She's not not gonna make it,' she heard one of them saying. Her heart started pounding. She was soaked in sweat and blood. William lay motionless beside her, his head crushed.

Her voice uttered some feint words of regret as she was mounted onto a stretcher waiting to be loaded into the ambulance. She so regretted but there was no way the damage could be undone.

For a moment her eye caught a final glimpse of the other car in the crash. It was her hubby's car crushed…and beside it laid his dead body. She heard an emergency service worker screaming, "we still need to remove the baby from the wreck". She was quite sure, due to his caring nature he was so worried as she did not answer her mobile and came to see if she was indeed ok.

She shrieked and wailed, "Oh Allah what have I done?"…her mouth smelling of wine and her body stained in blood she gasped and breathed her last…

The lessons to be learned are so many but most important of all is, to live in this world as if you are going to die today!

It's better to be tagged "anti-social" and "nerd" than allow our colleagues, ambitions and careers to sway us into such deeds that will destroy and harm us and our families both in this temporary world and the everlasting life of the hereafter.

 

The Fear of Allah and good conduct leads to Endless Hope…                                                       

Sin and vice leads to a Hopeless End!

Year End Functions and Parties

Year End Functions and Parties

 

 

 

(By Year End Parties/Functions specific reference is being made to Functions that include alcohol, music, merry making, free and lustful intermingling of sexes and dancing.)

 

It's approaching that time of year when people at the workplace forget about the rules in their need to hold parties and year end functions to let off steam. Besides the Islamic repugnance for such gatherings, it is common knowledge that such parties are misused as an excuse to go beyond what company rules and the law allows.

Due to the relaxed atmosphere created by the social nature of the event, music and alcohol, employees and management alike often make the mistake of behaving in ways that they would not do during normal working hours. This they do for many reasons including the mistaken beliefs that: Such behaviour is normal at parties; nobody will mind because it is year-end; people are more tolerant at parties; I can just say 'I meant it as a joke'; The party is outside working hours and/or away from the office so the rules don't apply; on Monday nobody will remember what I did.

There maybe "some pressure" from management to attend. Be mindful that there is no obedience in disobedience! In other words to comply with management and disobey Allah is extremely unwise. To uphold your Islam will not bring you disgrace. Rather be classified as "anti-social" than ever incur the wrath of Allah. Allah will NEVER disappoint you so long as you are true and faithful.

If you "have to" or "want to" attend, be particular of not transgressing the Laws of Sharia. For those who are going to attend we have the following suggestions:

·         Well ahead of time inform the organisers about your halaal dietary requirements. According to hadith that flesh that is nourished by haraam is destined for the Fire of Hell. If in doubt abstain. Moderation is key. You can always eat and drink at home.

·         Dress Islamically. Your dress is your protective armour. The function is still a business function, so conservative dressing is a good choice. Many functions have themes. Be mindful of your deeni obligations.

• Don't overstay. Usually most functions are started off by welcome speeches. If you fear fitnah(evil) thereafter-leave! Spend the least amount of time at the function just for appearance. But don't overstay your welcome by partying until the wee hours.

·         Do remember that although office parties are intended as social events to reward employees and raise morale, they remain strictly business events. Do act as though your behaviour is being observed every minute (because it is!).

·         Do conduct yourself professionally at all times. Don't use the office function as an excuse to blow off steam. It's still a company function, so proper etiquette and decorum matter.

·         Be in a state of wudhu(preferably). We are thought according to hadith that Whudu is a weapon and protection for a Muslim.

·          Perfume: A hadith states, The woman who perfumes herself and passes through a gathering is an adulteress. (Hadith_Abu Daoud and al-Tirmidhi)

·         Do keep your hands to yourself. Don't flirt, and do avoid any other inappropriate behaviour. The office function is not the time to end your career with the company by doing something inappropriate or haraam.(prohibited).

·         Don't spend all evening talking business. You'll forever have the label as the office bore. Rather steer your discussion in a constructive way. Remember that you are an ambassador of Allah! If possible bring in Deen by talking about the beautiful aspects and wisdom of ISLAM!

·         Salaah( Prayer)- Don't miss your Salaah or even make it Qadha. Allah  says: "Then woe to those prayer performers. Who are heedless of their prayers (Qura'n Part 30, Surah Ma-oon, verse 4-5). According to hadith:"Prayer is a pillar of faith. Whoever abandons it has destroyed his faith." (Baihiqi)

·         Make Dhikr.Any gathering in which Allah and His Noble Messenger (peace be upon him) are not remembered is accursed according to hadith.

·         Do keep all conversations positive and upbeat. Don't spend the evening complaining, bragging, correcting, whining, or ridiculing. And do avoid controversial subjects (such as, politics, etc.) and off-colour jokes.

·         Don't monopolize conversations and, especially, don't talk about yourself or your accomplishments all the time.

·         Do show interest in others. Do be gracious and thank co workers and team members for all their help and hard work during the past year. And don't even think about gossiping about others. Prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him) said : "Who protects his tongue from unlawful utterances and his private parts from illegal sexual intercourse, I shall guarantee him entrance into Paradise." (Hadith-Bukhari and Muslim)

·         Avoid touching the opposite sex. The Messenger of Allah (peace be on him) said, It is better for one of you to be pricked in the head with an iron pick than to touch a woman whom it is unlawful to touch ( Hadith al-Tabarani and al-Bayhaqi)

·         Sit when eating and drinking: It is indeed a great sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) .

·         Do take the time to network and schmooze with people at the function who can influence your career or who you may not see regularly, such as top management, people from other departments, and employees from other locations. You can begin building or strengthening business relationships, so do introduce yourself and build your network.

·         Don't forget to thank the person responsible for making necessary  arrangements for halaal food. And do consider sending a thank-you note to top management for accommodating you as a Muslim.

 

Evil Deeds usually present at Year-end Parties/Functions:

·         Alchohol: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "...don't drink wine for it is the key to every evil." He (pbuh) also said, "Every intoxicant is Khamr and every intoxicant is forbidden. He who drinks wine in this world and dies while he is addicted to it, not having repented, will not be given a drink in the Hereafter." (Hadith Muslim)

·         Music & Dancing: The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) is reported to have said:

"There will appear people in my Ummah, who will hold adultery, silk(for men), alcohol and musical instruments to be lawful" (Sahih al-Bukhari)

"Music makes hypocrisy grow in the heart as water cause plants to grow" (Sunan al-Bayhaqi).

"Verily Allah has forbidden alcohol, gambling, drum and guitar, and every intoxicant is haram" (Musnad Ahmad & Sunan Abu Dawud).

·         Adultry: Islam totally forbids adultery and also those things that lead to it. Allah Most High says:"And do not come near to adultery, for it is a shameful deed and an evil, opening the road (to other evils)" (al-Isra, 32).The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) is reported to have said:  "Whenever a man is alone with a woman the Devil makes a third." (Hadith Tirmidhi)

May Allah guide us and protect us and guide us to live a life in His total submission and according to the Sunnah(lifestyle) of His beloved and Final Messenger Muhammad (Salallaho alihe wassallam)…Ameen

PLEASE NOTE: We do not condone, encourage or support unislamic practises of year-end parties or functions. These functions are latent and synonymous with many practises that are at variance with the Laws of Allah.

THE COBBLER'S HAJ

THE COBBLER'S HAJ
 

It is related that a noted Muslim scholar Abdullah bin Mubarak, had a dream while he was sleeping near the Kaaba. Abdullah bin Mubarak saw two angels' descend from the sky, and start talking to each other.

One of the angels asked the other: "Do you know how many people have come for Hajj this year?" The other angel replied: "Six hundred thousand have come for Hajj." Abdullah bin Mubarak had also gone for Hajj that year.
The first angel asked: "How many people's Hajj has been accepted?"

The second replied: "I wonder if anyone's Hajj has been accepted at all." Abdullah bin Mubarak was grieved to hear that. He thought, "So many people have come from all over the world, crossing so many obstacles like rivers, jungles, mountains, suffered so many hardships, and meeting so many expenses. Would their effort be wasted? Allah does not let anyone's effort go to waste".

He had thought only so far when he heard the other angel speak: "There is a cobbler in Damascus. His name is Ali bin al-Mufiq. He could not come for Hajj, but Allah has accepted his intention of Hajj. Not only will he get the reward for Hajj, but because of him, all the Hajjis will be rewarded.

When Abdullah bin Mubarak woke up, he decided he would go to Damascus and meet that cobbler whose Hajj intentions carried such a lot of weight.

On reaching Damascus, Abdullah bin Mubarak inquired if anyone knew a cobbler named Ali bin al-Mufiq. The town people directed him to a house. When a man appeared from the house Abdullah bin Mubarak greeted him and asked his name. The man replied "Ali bin al-Mufiq".

Abdullah bin Mubarak asked: "What do you do for a living?"

Ali replied: "I am a cobbler". Then Ali asked the stranger's name that had come looking for him.

Abdullah bin Mubarak was a very well-known scholar of Islam, when Abdullah bin
Mubarak introduced him self, the cobbler was anxious to find out why such a well known scholar was seeking him out.

When Abdullah bin Mubarak asked Ali to tell him if he had made any plans to go for Hajj. Ali replied "For thirty years I have lived in the hope of performing the Hajj. This year I had saved enough to go for Hajj, but Allah did not will it, so I couldn't make my intention translate into action.

Abdullah bin Mubarak was eager to find out how could this man's Hajj be accepted and blessed for all the people who went for Hajj that year when he didn't go for Hajj in the first place. While talking to the cobbler he could feel a certain purity in his heart. Islam regards greatness not in wealth or in power, but in civility, in good manners and the goodness of heart.

Abdullah bin Mubarak further asked: "why could you not go on Hajj?". In order not to disclose the reason, Ali again replied "it was Allah's will".

When Abdullah bin Mubarak persisted, Ali revealed: "Once I went to see my neighbour's house. His family was just sitting down for dinner. Although I was not hungry I thought my neighbour would invite me to sit down for dinner out of courtesy but I could see that my neighbour was grieved about something and wanted to avoid inviting me for dinner.

After some hesitation the neighbour told me: "I am sorry I cannot invite you for food. We were without food for three days and I could not bear to see the pain of hunger of my children. I went out looking for food today and found a dead donkey. In my desperation I cut out some meat from the dead animal, and brought it home so that my wife could cook this meat. It is halal (lawful or permitted) for us because of our extreme condition of hunger, but I cannot offer it to you."

Ali continued: "On hearing this, my heart bled with tears. I got up and went home, collected the three thousand dinars I had saved for Hajj, and gave my neighbour the money. I too had to go hungry but that was to save money for Hajj, but I thought helping my neighbour during his difficult times was more important. Although I still desire to go for Hajj if Allah wills."

Abdullah bin Mubarak was greatly inspired by the cobbler's story and told the cobbler of his dream.

Allah Ta'ala is merciful and shows mercy to those who do likewise to his creatures. This act of compassion on the part of the cobbler was so pleasing to God that it not only earned him the reward of Hajj but was extended to all the people who came for Hajj.

Hajj is a journey that can ignite the soul to be reminded of the time it was created and takes it beyond the dimensions of this life to the time it will meet the creator.

The sincere performance of Hajj can transcend a person's day to day life into a spiritual awakening of the highest magnitude. A successful Hajj experience connects us to our creator and the greater compassion of humanity.

The Takbeeraat of Tashreeq

The Takbeeraat of Tashreeq

 

It is Wajib (incumbent) for every adult Muslim male  to recite the Takbeeraat of Tashreeq after every Fardh Salaat-performed with Jamaat or individually from the Fajr of the 9th of Zul-Hijjah to the Asr of the 13th of Zul Hijjah. The Takbeeraat should be recited once only. The words are as follows:

 اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ لآ إلَهَ إلَّا اللَّهُ وَاَللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ وَلِلَّهِ الْحَمْدُ

Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar laa ilaha illallahu wallahu akbar. Allahu Akbar walillaahil hamd.

Translation: "Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest. There is no deity besides Allah and Allah is the Greatest. Allah is the Greatest and all praises belong to Him Alone."

NB. Men should recite this Takbeer audibly whilst females should do so softly.

 

EXAMS

Exams

 That time of year....

For many when we hear the phrase "It's that time of year again..." we think of year-end holidays and another year gone. For others it's the dreaded time of exams. Again! A time of fear and anxiety, a time of wishing we had done more during the year, but there's no getting away from it. It's that time of year again....

And as we grow older the exams seem to get more difficult and the brain more reluctant to yield the information we crammed into it. At junior grade the answers are simple, such as the teacher who asked Albie to come to the map and show the class where is America, Albie did so correctly and then the teacher asked: "Now class, who discovered America?" "Albie!!" was the prompt and proud answer.

 As we grow older we can no longer get away hiding behind childhood innocence but have to demonstrate our learning ability and answer the questions about intricate subjects that often have a multitude of odd sounding phrases that difficult to pronounce and even more difficult to learn. But without learning there can be no progress. "The more knowledgeable the man, the more valuable the man" said Hazrat Ali (RA)

With the limited time to cram a year's worth of information we often seek extraordinary solutions, but there are few except the tried and tested method of prayer, hard work and lots more hard work. But here some practical tips to help you:

1.      Pray - Before any study session spend a few moments praying. Sometimes teens think that Allah is only in the most spiritual parts of their lives, but Allah is in every aspect of your life. He wants you to succeed. Praying can bring you closer to Allah and make you feel a little stronger and relaxed going into test time. Ask others to also pray for you. We can never underestimate the power of prayer.

2.      Study SMART – more time doesn't mean more effective studying. Ideally study for 50 minutes then spend 10 minutes reviewing the material just covered. Then take a 5minute break to soak it all in.

3.      Establish a study timetable – many students loose hours of study time deciding what to study and the mind will always gravitate to those subjects we enjoy ignoring the ones that we dislike and really need attention.

4.      Lose the Excuses - It can be easy to put off studying until the last minute. The things going on around you can be tempting ways to procrastinate. Exams are overwhelming. They do test your limits, but you can learn. You need to keep your pace reasonable and learn what you can.

5.      Eat Well – while many teenagers are convinced that chocolate slabs and crisps are packed with sufficient sugar and carbohydrates to nourish the brain – in reality, they only satisfy the taste-buds and are very poor brain food. High sugar foods may give you energy at first, but then it plummets pretty quickly. So drop some of the 'snacks' for a real good meal at least twice a day.

 

6.      Get Your Rest - Sleep is one of the most important tools you have in studying for exams. You may feel stressed and like you don't know everything you need to know, but a good night sleep can help relieve that stress. A lack of sleep can end up clouding your judgement or increase your number of mistakes. Get at least 6 to 8 hours of sleep a night, especially the night before your exam.

 

7.      Take a Breather - Breaks are a good thing. Even the test preparers of major tests like the ACT and SAT know the importance of taking a breather, as they schedule them into the test time. Studying can take its toll on you, and after a while the words and information can just seem like a jumbled mess. Step away from what you are studying and just clear your head with something different. It will help make you fresh to continue.

 

8.      Have Some Fun - Yes, exam time is stressful, and you may feel like you have to devote all your time to studying. However, if you develop a good plan you should have some time to spend with friends and family. Make some time to do some things with your youth group that week to just blow off steam. Taking an hour or two to get away from the stress is a good thing. It will make your head a bit clearer when you back to studying and you will feel reenergized.

 

When all else fails then you could pray a lot more and come up with some imaginative excuses like:

Father: Why are your exam marks so low?
SON: Because I sit at the desk at the back, Dad.
Father: What difference does that make?
SON: Well, there are so many of us in the class that when it's my turn for marks there aren't any left.

We pray that Allah Ta'ala grant all the students success in their exams and use their knowledge for the sake of promoting his Deen. And we also ask Allah to assist us all in our FINAL exam and allow us all to pass this difficult assessment. Aameen!