Adh-Dhakireen Allah katheeran wa Dhakiraat

He Who Created The Heavens And The Earth

2011-04-19T08:53:00.001-07:00

Bismillah,

قُلِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَسَلَامٌ عَلَىٰ عِبَادِهِ الَّذِينَ اصْطَفَىٰ آللَّهُ خَيْرٌ أَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ

Say, [O Muhammad], "Praise be to Allah , and peace upon His servants whom He has chosen. Is Allah better or what they associate with Him?"

أَمَّنْ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَأَنْزَلَ لَكُمْ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَأَنْبَتْنَا بِهِ حَدَائِقَ ذَاتَ بَهْجَةٍ مَا كَانَ لَكُمْ أَنْ تُنْبِتُوا شَجَرَهَا ۗ أَإِلَٰهٌ مَعَ اللَّهِ ۚ بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ يَعْدِلُونَ

[More precisely], is He [not best] who created the heavens and the earth and sent down for you rain from the sky, causing to grow thereby gardens of joyful beauty which you could not [otherwise] have grown the trees thereof? Is there a deity with Allah ? [No], but they are a people who ascribe equals [to Him].

أَمَّنْ جَعَلَ الْأَرْضَ قَرَارًا وَجَعَلَ خِلَالَهَا أَنْهَارًا وَجَعَلَ لَهَا رَوَاسِيَ وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ حَاجِزًا أَإِلَٰهٌ مَعَ اللَّهِ بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

Is He [not best] who made the earth a stable ground and placed within it rivers and made for it firmly set mountains and placed between the two seas a barrier? Is there a deity with Allah? [No], but most of them do not know.

أَمَّنْ يُجِيبُ الْمُضْطَرَّ إِذَا دَعَاهُ وَيَكْشِفُ السُّوءَ وَيَجْعَلُكُمْ خُلَفَاءَ الْأَرْضِ أَإِلَٰهٌ مَعَ اللَّهِ قَلِيلًا مَا تَذَكَّرُونَ

Is He [not best] who responds to the desperate one when he calls upon Him and removes evil and makes you inheritors of the earth? Is there a deity with Allah ? Little do you remember.

أَمَّنْ يَهْدِيكُمْ فِي ظُلُمَاتِ الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ وَمَنْ يُرْسِلُ الرِّيَاحَ بُشْرًا بَيْنَ يَدَيْ رَحْمَتِهِ ۗ أَإِلَٰهٌ مَعَ اللَّهِ ۚ تَعَالَى اللَّهُ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُو

Is He [not best] who guides you through the darknesses of the land and sea and who sends the winds as good tidings before His mercy? Is there a deity with Allah ? High is Allah above whatever they associate with Him.

أَمَّنْ يَبْدَأُ الْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهُ وَمَنْ يَرْزُقُكُمْ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ أَإِلَٰهٌ مَعَ اللَّهِ قُلْ هَاتُوا بُرْهَانَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ

Is He [not best] who begins creation and then repeats it and who provides for you from the heaven and earth? Is there a deity with Allah ? Say, "Produce your proof, if you should be truthful."

قُلْ لَا يَعْلَمُ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ الْغَيْبَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ أَيَّانَ يُبْعَثُونَ

Say, "None in the heavens and earth knows the unseen except Allah , and they do not perceive when they will be resurrected." [Surah Naml: 59-65]
_________________________________

How strange is it that even though our Lord tells us that the rain He sends down from the sky is a provision for us, we complain; is that not the definition of incompetence? Imagine how life would be if we were deprived of just this one blessing. How would we survive? It doesn't make sense that we treat it like a punishment being inflicted on us, yet out of ignorance most of us choose to be ungrateful. It's only from the mercy of Allah that He doesn't deprive us of this blessing, and we have no right whatsoever to challenge His wisdom.

So whether it's snowing, raining, or sunny, always say alhamdulillah. Allah is the creator, and He knows what's best for His creation. The earth is in perfect balance; everything is working in a system and it's in flawless harmony under His command.

And also, keep in mind that we as humans benefit so much from the rain Allah sends, it's essentially an entire system that ultimately serves to benefit us. (Plants -> Animals -> Humans). If there was even a slight imbalance, then it would lead to total disaster on earth.

If we do not acknowledge the blessings of Allah today, then who says we will be deserving of them tomorrow.

- Alister.

Etiquette of a Student of Knowledge

2011-01-31T18:05:00.000-08:00

Bismillah,

Recently I've noticed that a lot of the youth in the West are starting to gain interest in their religion, and are starting to acquire a thirst for knowledge. Masha'Allah, it's beautiful to see that the majority of people attending the halaqat in the masajid are the youth, may Allah increase us in guidance. It's a blessing from Allah subhanhu wa ta'ala that He has put a love for the religion into our hearts, even after spending our lives in a country where ingorance is so prevalent; and insha'Allah this eagerness will only continue to grow and be of benefit to us.

It's kind of obvious, since we're still amateurs when it comes to seeking knowledge, that we could use a couple of lessons in the etiquettes of a student; and since a lot of people see this as something causal, we need need to realize that this is something that should be taken very seriously.

The first attribute that a student must have is punctuality. When you show up late for class, it's like saying you don't value the education and that it's not a priority for you. And when it comes to learning about the religion of Allah, we shouldn't just be on time but we should be early! The punctuality of a student is an indication of his eagerness to learn, and his respect for the teacher and what is being taught.

وَلَمَّا جَاءَ مُوسَىٰ لِمِيقَاتِنَا

And when Musa arrived at our appointed time.. [Surah Al-A'raaf:143]

When Allah azza wa jal summoned Musa (alayhi salam) to Mount Tur, he refers to their meeting as an appointment. This shows that the pursuit of knowledge is something that should be structured, and taken seriously. Even when you have a doctors appointment, you structure your day in such a way that everything revolves around that appointment. You leave work early, plan for traffic, and show up on time. So what deserves more respect, the religion of Allah or your doctor? Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala also mentions in the ayah before,

وَوَاعَدْنَا مُوسَىٰ ثَلَاثِينَ لَيْلَةً وَأَتْمَمْنَاهَا بِعَشْرٍ فَتَمَّ مِيقَاتُ رَبِّهِ أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً

And We made an appointment with Moses for thirty nights and perfected them by [the addition of] ten; so the term of his Lord was completed as forty nights. [Surah Al-A'raaf:142]

Which brings us to the next etiquette, which is learn to sacrifice. Even though his appointment with Allah was only supposed to be for 30 nights, Musa (alayhi salam) did not complain when Allah added an extra 10 days. Most of us complain when the teacher continues with the lesson for only a few minutes after the class was supposed to end, and this is not from the behaviour of a real student. Knowledge is a blessing, and should be valued-- if your teacher is offering you an opportunity to learn more, be grateful.

Likewise, we should put a lot of time and effort into seeking knowledge. Just like we spend quality time with our friends and family, we should spend quality time with knowledge. Be serious about it, and give it your undivided time and attention. This will help you appreciate what you are learning and retain the information more, and also it will build your thirst.

Another thing that we need to keep in mind is that our intentions should be sincere, and that we should seek to please no one other than Allah. Whoever takes the path to knowledge, Allah will make the path to Jannah easy for him. Don't make the mistake of trading the ultimate reward with the temporary delusions of the dunya.

وَاتْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ نَبَأَ الَّذِي آتَيْنَاهُ آيَاتِنَا فَانْسَلَخَ مِنْهَا فَأَتْبَعَهُ الشَّيْطَانُ فَكَانَ مِنَ الْغَاوِينَ

And recite to them, [O Muhammad], the news of him to whom we gave [knowledge of] Our signs, but he detached himself from them; so Satan pursued him, and he became of the deviators.

وَلَوْ شِئْنَا لَرَفَعْنَاهُ بِهَا وَلَٰكِنَّهُ أَخْلَدَ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ

And if We had willed, we could have elevated him thereby, but he adhered [instead] to the earth and followed his own desire. [Surah Al-A'raaf:175-176]

Always remember that when seeking knowledge we should do it with ihsaan, and part of this is completing what we start. Stay focused on what you're doing, and give it your all. And try to go in depth, don't be satisfied with the tip of the iceberg. The more you delve into the knowledge of this deen, the greater your love and appreciation for it will be.

And last but not least, you must increase in worship. Imam Ahmad once said, "How can one be a student of knowledge and not stand for Qiyam Al-Layl?". Likewise, when Musa (alayhi salam) spent the 40 nights with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, he spent the entire time fasting. It can't be stressed enough that one must be in a constant state of worship and remembrance of Allah, and stay away from both minor and major sins.

May Allah make us of those who He honours with the knowledge of His deen, and may He allow us to implement it into our lives.

This advice goes to myself first and foremost. Whatever good I have said is from Allah, and whatever wrong I have said is from myself and shaytaan.

- Alister.

It's not the end of the world..

2011-01-19T17:50:00.000-08:00

Bismillah.

Picture this. You come home from what seems to be the worst day of your life, nothing has been going your way; you probably got stuffed in a locker, forgot to tie your shoes, or two drunk white guys attempted to hit on you in an elevator (it happens, trust me). Then you come home, hoping to finally get a break from the chaos in the real world, when you realize that not only did you lose a $20 while you were out, but you forgot your entire wallet on the bus. Cue the emotional breakdown.

Now at a time like this, most level headed people would take advantage of this situation and say something stupid like "it's not the end of the world". As if reminding someone that the world is still intact is going to make everything better. On the contrary, it would probably make the situation worse and result in someone getting a black eye...since the person mentioned above really has nothing to lose.

On a serious note though, I remember last week at jumu'ah salah the imam was talking about this saying in the khutba. Sadly, I really don't remember everything he said so I'm just gonna wing it.

Basically, no matter how bad your day is going, always remember that it could be worse. If today was a bad day, you have tomorrow and the rest of your life to make it better.

So suck it up.

- Alister.

Love for the One

2011-01-04T21:20:00.000-08:00

Alhamdulillahi wahda, wa salaatu wa salaam 'ala man la nabiya ba'da.

All of us humans have one thing in common, we were all created by the same God; whether we believe in Him or not is what sets us all apart. The level of this belief, or lack thereof, has a direct influence on our relationship with our Creator. If you were to ask any Muslim if they loved Allah, they would say yes without hesitation, but the real question we should be asking is do we show it? In his book ‘Tawheed Al-Uboodiyah’, ibn Taymiyyah wrote, “the stronger the worshipper’s desire is for the favour of Allah and His Mercy, in accomplishing his needs and necessary requirements, the stronger is worship of Allah will be and the greater becomes his freedom from everything besides Allah”. From this we learn that in order for us to truly show our love for Allah, and to strengthen our relationship with Allah, we must increase in worship and do deeds that are pleasing to Him.

But what if we did the opposite of this? What if instead of affirming our love and gratitude, instead we chose to do minimal good deeds, barely make du’aa, and ignore the very reason of our exsistence which is to worship Allah. Well then, I can guarantee that if you choose to fall into a life of sin and heedlessness, you will only be pushing your heart into a deeper state of darkness, and essentially distancing yourself from Allah. Ibn Rajab once said, “every sin is the result of a person’s putting the desires of his soul above his love for Allah and His messenger”. So the next time you’re about to commit a sin, just remember that not only are you disobeying Allah and his messenger, but you’re also putting yourself on a higher level of importance.

Another mistake most people make is assuming that just because their du’aa is accepted, this means Allah is pleased with them. Have we forgotten about Iblis, and the request that he made to Allah that he be given the chance to misguide all of mankind, and that he be allowed to live until the day of judgement, and Allah accepted this du’aa of Iblees. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that because you’ve been blessed with wealth, or health or anything that may seem good that this means your Lord is pleased with you. If anything it should be a warning that since you have not shown gratitude for these blessings, there will be more things held against you on the day of judgement.

But for those of us who have been blessed with the ability to repent often, and to avoid sin, then we must always remember that the greatest reward comes with the greatest trial. If you’re not noticing any tests or hardships in your life, look into your heart and re-evaluate your relationship with Allah, because when Allah loves a people, he tests them and whoever accepts that wins His pleasure, but whoever is unhappy with that earns His wrath [Tirmidhi]. At the end of the day, we are all slaves of Allah and we all have different levels of faith, and the one thing we must be watchful over is our relationship with Allah and that it always comes before anything else because if we lose Allah, then we have nothing.

"And verily for everything that a slave loses, there is a substitute, but the one who loses Allah will never find anything to replace him." - Ibn Al-Qayyim

- Alister.

Sorry Guys!

2010-12-11T21:00:00.000-08:00

I know I haven't been posting as often as I used to, I'll be back to normal soon insha'Allah. In the meantime, check out my girl's blog here and hopefully she can distract you guys for now lol.

May Allah increase us in those actions that are beloved to Him, and increase us in eman.

- Alister.

Do You Neglect It?

2010-12-11T20:55:00.000-08:00

Bismillah wa al-hamdulillah, wa salaatu wa salaam 'ala rasoolillah.

I'm being haunted. Not by a ghost, or a jinn, or any living person-- I'm talking about the stacks of books I have that pretty much just decorate my bedroom. Literally, that's all they are now, decoration. Lately I've been doing my best to read them and make use, but subhan Allah I'm slowly starting to realize that it's not as easy as I thought. There's nothing worse than being ignorant, and I know that I will be brought into account for not acting upon that knowledge I had in my possession. So my plan for this winter break is to gather all of my books, organize them onto my shelf in order of importance, and do my best to benefit as much as I can insha'Allah. I think I'm going to start with 'Purification of the Soul' by Jamaal al-Din Zarabozo, and a friend of mine who also has a copy is joining me.

In other news, I have 3 exams left so the only books I'll be cracking open are my school books.

- Alister.

To Him we all belong..

2010-07-05T21:16:00.000-07:00

"If the inferno of this world is what I must plunge into,

To be worthy of glancing into the face of my True King,

Then fought will be the false-gods, til I am ashes.

To Him we all belong, but He buys me and those who plunge in along with me.

By the Lord! With my slavery to the True King I will remain, or let my bones turn to charcoal.

So away with these dates! I see Rivers and Gardens in these flames."

2010-06-16T16:56:00.002-07:00

Bismillah.

Sahih Al-Bukhari
Book of Riqaq (ahadeeth which produce mercy in the heart)

Hadith Number 6204

Sa'id and 'Ata' ibn Yazid related from Abu Hurayra from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

'Ata' ibn Yazid al-Laythi related that Abu Hurayra said, "Some people said, 'Messenger of Allah, will we see our Lord on the Day of Rising?' He said, 'Do you have any doubt about seeing the moon on a night when it is full and there are no clouds obscuring it?' They said, 'No, Messenger of Allah.' He said, 'Do you have any doubt about seeing the sun when there are no clouds obscuring it?' They said, 'No, Messenger of Allah.'

He said, 'That is how you will see Him on the Day of Rising. Allah will gather people together and will say, "Whoever used worship something should follow it." Those who worshipped the sun will follow it, those who worshipped the moon will follow it, and those who worshipped idols will follow them.

This community will be left, together with its hypocrites. Then Allah will come to them in other than the form which they recognise and say, "I am your Lord." They will say, "We seek refuge with Allah from you. This where we stay until our Lord comes to us. When our Lord comes to us, we will recognise him." Then Allah will come to them again in the form which they recognise and say, "I am your Lord." They will say, "You are our Lord," and they will follow him. A bridge will be set up over Jahannam.'

"The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'I will be the first to cross it. The supplication of the Messengers on that day will be, "O Allah, preserve us! Preserve us!" It has hooks like the thorns of the prickly-plant Have you seen the thorns of the prickly-plant?' They said, 'Yes, indeed, Messenger of Allah.' He said, 'They are like the thorns of the prickly-plant except that only Allah knows how huge they are. They will hook onto people according to their actions. Some of them will be destroyed by their actions and some will be lacerated and then saved.

When Allah has finished judging between His slaves and wishes to bring out of the Fire those He wishes to bring out of the Fire of those who used to testify, "There is no god but Allah," He will command the angels to bring them out. They will recognise them by the mark of sajda. Allah has forbidden the Fire to consume the mark of sajda on the child of Adam. They will emerge from the Fire burned and blackened and a water called the water of life will be poured over them and they will grow as the seed on the bank of a stream grows.

Then only one man will be left who will be facing the Fire and he will say, "O Lord! Its wind has poisoned me and its blaze has burned me! Turn my face away from the Fire!" He will continue to supplicate Allah who will say, "If I grant you that, perhaps you will ask something else?" He will say, "No, by Your might! I will not ask Me for anything else!" Allah will turn his face away from the Fire.Then he will say after that, "O Lord, bring me near to the door of the Garden!" Allah will say, "Did you not claim that you would not ask Me for anything else? Woe to you, son of Adam! How treacherous you are!" He will continue to supplicate Him and Allah will say, "If I grant you that, you will ask something else." He will say, "No, by Your might, I will not ask for anything except that!" He will give pledges and promises that he will not ask Him for anything else, and He will bring him right up to the door of the Garden. When he sees what it contains, he will be silent for as long as Allah wishes him to be silent. Then he will say, "O Lord, let me enter the Garden!" Allah will say, "Did you not claim that you would not ask Me for anything else? Woe to you, child of Adam! How treacherous you are!" He will say, "O Lord, do not make me the most wretched of Your creation!" He will continue to supplicate Him until He will laugh at him. When He laughs at him, He will then give him permission to enter it. When he enters it, he will be told, "Wish from that" and he will make wishes until, when he stops wishing, He will say to him, "You can have that and the same again."

Abu Hurayra said, "That man will be the last of the people of the Garden to enter it."

---

He ('Ata') said, "Abu Sa'id al-Khudri was sitting with Abu Hurayra and did not change any of his hadith until he reached his words, 'You can have that and the same again.' and Abu Sa'id said, 'I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, "You can have that and the same ten times over.'" Abu Hurayra said, 'I remember it as "the same again.'"

- Alister.

O Youth!

2010-06-07T14:13:00.000-07:00

Bismillah.

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, Light of the heavens and the Earth. The only One who can give guidance, and the only One who can guide those who have gone astray.

As I write this post, I struggle to keep the tears in my eyes, and my heart aches as I remind myself of the state of young Muslims that I know. And I swear by Allah, that a share of this blame is upon me, and yet I still haven't done anything to solve it; may Allah have mercy on me.

The young girls that I always see at the masjid, the same young girls who I see attending the Islamic conferences, and the very same young girls that I see volunteering in the community...

They are the ones posting pictures of themselves online without their hijaabs.

They are the ones gossiping on the phone, using vulgar language, and behaving immodestly.

And they are the ones who listen to music, who flirt with boys, and commit sins publicly.

What has happened to us older girls? How is it that our younger sisters have reached this state of heedlessness and yet we still go about our ways, as if this does not concern us. And if any of us think that, then we're soon going to be in for a rude awakening. It is their right over us to set an example for them, to mentor them, and to remind them. They would be more likely to listen to us rather than the older women, because of the shorter age gap.

Allahu musta'an. May Allah guide these girls, and increase them in faith, and remove them from this state of ghafla. And may He forgive those of us who have forgotten them, or do not care about them.

Ya Muqallib Al-Quloob, thaabit quloobana 'ala deenik; Oh Controller of the hearts, make our hearts firm upon Your religion.

- Alister.

A Familiar Voice

2010-05-11T13:54:00.000-07:00

Alhamdulillahi wahda, wa salaatu wa salaam 'ala man la nabiya ba'da.

Take a minute right now and ask yourself, how do you use your tongue? Do you use it to remember Allah, or do you use it for vain talk. And even if you do use it for dhikr, how often can your tongue be found in this state? Earlier this morning, my mother and I were taking a walk and this elderly man walked by us. "He was doing tasbeeh", my mom told me, "Look at the way his lips are moving". Subhan Allah, I felt so proud and ashamed at the same time. Proud because I just saw someone who was engrossed in the rememberance of Allah and was spending his time wisely, but ashamed because I was not doing the same.

This man reminded me of the prophet Yunus, and personally everytime I remember the story of Yunus 'alayhi salam, tears come to my eyes. When he found himself in distress, he immediately went into prostration and supplicated to Allah.

فَنَادَى فِي الظُّلُمَاتِ أَن لَّا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ

..And he called out within the darknesses, "There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers." [Surah Anbiya':87]

After hearing this du'a of Yunus, the angels gathered around the Throne of Allah and said, "Oh Allah! This is a familiar voice, from an unfamiliar place." And after Allah informed them that this was none other than Yunus, the angels began to intercede for him. "Oh Allah," they continued, "Will You not have mercy on him for what he did during his time of ease, and save him from this trial and tribulation?"

Allahu akbar! It is evident that Yunus would do dhikr so much to the extent that his voice became familiar to the angels! And not only that, Allah subhana wa ta'ala says that had Yunus not busied himself with the rememberance of Allah before this, he would have remained in the belly of the whale until the Day of Judgement.

This is a reminder for us, and a lesson that if we are among those who remember Allah constantly, then inshaa'Allah we will be given the intercession of the angels, and the Mercy of Allah.

That's one of the reasons why I chose to name my blog 'Dhakiraat', because those who remember Allah often are those that are the closest to Him and will receive the best of rewards (read verse 35 of surah Ahzaab to know what this reward is).

- Alister.

It's that time of year again...

2010-03-31T14:51:00.000-07:00

Bismillah.

For some reason, the vast majority of people seem to think that as soon as the temperature starts getting warmer, it is obligatory to wear minimal clothing and to expose their skin.

Like seriously, it's like they suffered so much in the winter time with all those bulky layers, to the extent that they have to balance it out in the spring and summer by wearing clothes that barely even cover anything.

A wise woman once said, "In the winters, the trees are naked. In the summer, women are."

Allahu musta'an.

- Alister.

And turn to Allah...

2010-03-05T07:04:00.000-08:00

Bismillahi ar-Rahman ar-Raheem,

And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their private parts; that is purer for them; surely Allah is Aware of what they do.

And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their private parts, and not to show off their adornment except that which is apparent, and to draw their veils all over their Juyub, and not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husband's fathers, or their sons, or their husband's sons, or their brothers or their brother's sons, or their sister's sons or their women or their right hand possessions, or the male servants not having need (of women), or the children who have not attained knowledge of what is hidden of women; and let them not stamp their feet so that what they hide of their ornaments may be known.

And turn to Allah all of you, O believers, so that you may be successful.

[Surah Noor: 30-31 ].

- Alister.

Subway Adventures

2010-03-02T16:44:00.000-08:00

Bismillah.

So as I was getting onto the subway after school today, I noticed from the corner of my eye this guy walking towards me (well not walking to me, but just like in my direction. I just like making every situation seem like the world revolves around me).

Then when he started getting closer, I started noticing that this guy was watching me like I was his reflection or something. Dude was beyond scared, and I found this extremely hilarious. I am the least intimidating person in the world, and I just successfully terrified a grown man.

Now the highlight of this encounter occured when the facial expressions of this man were clearly defined.

He looked at what I was wearing.

Shaked his head.

And looked down...as if I just disappointed him beyond belief.

Dude was acting like I committed a crime by covering myself. If anything, I should have been the one doing the above actions because I'm pretty sure that hotdog you had for lunch was not halal; shame on you man. So next time, please keep your reactions to yourself, because if disappointing you means pleasing my Lord, then I will gladly continue with what I clearly do best.

There it is. The story of the man who shakes his head when he sees covered women.

Either that...or he just forgot his wallet on the train. In which case, my imagination really needs to slow down.

- Alister.

Real Success

2010-02-27T09:28:00.000-08:00

Bismillah, walhamdulillah, wa salatu wa salam 'ala rasoolilaah.

Prophet Ibrahim, may the peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him, was one of the most honoured and favoured messengers sent to mankind. The highlights of this noble prophet's life are many, but one thing that always catches my attention is how often his name is mentioned in the Qur'aan.

Usually, when you love someone, you can't help but to talk about them a lot. So it only makes sense that Allaah subhana wa ta'aala has mentioned the name of his Khalil so often. Subhan Allaah, what an honour it would be to know that your Lord is not just pleased with you, but has such a strong love for you that you are mentioned constantly in the most holy book. May Allaah subhana wa ta'aala revive our hearts and increase us in our love for Him.

For example, in surah Baqarah, Allaah says...

إِذْ قَالَ لَهُ رَبُّهُ أَسْلِمْ قَالَ أَسْلَمْتُ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

When his Lord said to him, "Submit (yourself)," he said, "I have submitted myself to the Lord of the worlds." [Baqarah : 131]

In that verse, notice how Ibrahim did not even hesitate, did not even second-think it. When Allaah told him to submit, right then and there immediately he said I submit. Allaah did not go to the next ayah and say, then Ibrahim submitted, but no it was kept in the same ayah-- which shows us the nature of Ibrahim's heart, and how obedient he was to Allaah subhana wa ta'aala.

Another thing I noticed that always brings tears to my eyes is the way that Allaah 'azza wa jal defends Ibrahim ('alayhi salaam) from the accusations of the Jews and Christians. Almost every single time his name is mentioned, Allaah also says "...and he was not from among the mushrikeen". By Allaah, I have never seen such a stronger companionship than this, that Allaah is defending his beloved Prophet from the slanders and the lies that others have attributed to Ibrahim in such a way that it casts astonishment into the minds of those who take heed. How strong Allaah's love for Ibrahim must be that He repeats this line over and over, and it is drilled into our heads that such a claim is not befitting for someone who gained the Love of Allaah.

And it doesn't end there. Not only is this a lesson for us to understand the level of admiration that Ibrahim ('alayhi salam) achieved, but also it shows us how Allaah subhana wa ta'aala treats the slaves that attain His love. How can it be that anyone who is loved by Allaah could be destined to a place anywhere far from Him? Jannah is the only befitting destination for those who love Allaah, and Allaah loves back.

This reminder is directed to myself first and foremost, and I pray that Allaah subhana wa ta'aala makes it easy for us to come closer to Him, and preform deeds that are pleasing to Him.

Yearning for Allah and His meeting is like the gentle breeze blowing upon the heart, extinguishing the blaze of the dunya. Whosoever causes his heart to settle with his Lord shall be in a state, calm and tranquil, and whosoever sends it amongst the people shall be excessively perturbed. — Ibn al-Qayyim

- Alister.

Say Ma Shaa' Allah

2010-01-17T14:59:00.000-08:00

Bismillah.

Saturday, January 17. Maghrib time. I was praying beside this girl I had spoken to a couple times, but was not aqquainted with. I should have known something was up when she refused to straighten the line; like really, she lined up her toes with my ankle. Little did I know that this girl was more dangerous than I could ever imagine.

“Is that little girl you’re sister?” she asked me, as one of the kids from the masjid ran by us. We had just finished praying and people were just reading their adhkaar.

“No, she’s so-and-so’s daughter” I replied. Sadly, I was still clueless to her evil capability.

“She’s so beautiful, is she Arab?” She asked, and I really saw her eyes grow a bit bigger. Creepy much?

“No,” I laughed, “she’s Somali.” And then I noticed she was looking at me, her eyes a bit bigger this time.

“And you too. Your so beauty-full.” She said, with her creepy voice.

I got the biggest chills ever, this girl was up to something. So I turned my head in the other direction and swiftly stood up and walked to the back of the musalah where she couldn’t see me. I think it’s obvious I avoided her for the rest of the day. Really, would it kill her to say ma shaa’ Allah?

It's weird though, I was talking to her earlier in the day and she seemed perfectly fine. But then right after salaat al-Maghrib she starts acting a bit wack. Coincidentally, I think we all know what kind of creatures come out after Maghrib.

What is it with me and these weird experiences at the masjid?

- Alister.

On the Day...

2010-01-15T15:17:00.000-08:00

يَوْمَ تَجِدُ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا عَمِلَتْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ مُّحْضَرًا وَمَا عَمِلَتْ مِن سُوَءٍ تَوَدُّ لَوْ أَنَّ بَيْنَهَا وَبَيْنَهُ أَمَدًا بَعِيدًا وَيُحَذِّرُكُمُ اللّهُ نَفْسَهُ وَاللّهُ رَؤُوفُ بِالْعِبَاد

On the Day when every soul will be confronted with all the good it has done, and all the evil it has done, it will wish there were a great distance between it and its evil. But Allah cautions you (To remember) Himself. And Allah is full of kindness to those that serve Him.

[ Ale-Imraan : 30 ] .

- Alister

I Pity The Fool

2010-01-09T20:04:00.000-08:00

Bismillah.

I pity the fool...

Who sees me covered, and feels sorry for me.

Who sees me struggling, and feels sorry for me.

Who sees me fighting, and feels sorry for me.

Who sees me crying, and feels sorry for me.

Who sees me sick, and feels sorry for me.

Who sees me prostrate, and feels sorry for me.

Who sees me obey, and feels sorry for me.

Because...

When I cover, I shield myself from the evil of mankind. And I sheild myself from the temptations that surround me and intoxicate others who submit to their desires.

And when I struggle, I know there is a light at the end of a tunnel. So why give up when I know the grass is greener on the other side, all I have to do is cross the finish line.

And when I fight, there is no such thing as mercy. So don't challenge me, because you'd be surprised how well 'opression' strenghtens an individual.

And when I cry, my tears do not evaporate in vain. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "One who weeps out of fear of Allah, will not enter the Hell ...". [At-Tirmidhi].

And when I am sick, it's all good because this an expiation for my sins. And it humbles me, because I am reminded of the weakness of man.

And when I prostrate, my heart starts to beat just a little bit faster. And my muscles get tense trying to make this moment last longer. And my tongue supplicates with the certainty of acceptance, because the closest I am to Allah is in when I prostrate before Him.

And when I obey, I do it not only because I have to, but also because I choose to submit to the King of Kings, not the King of Queens.

So I pity the fool who feels sorry for me; and I pray that Allah saves me from being a fool.

- Alister.

Do Not Forget Death

2010-01-06T18:03:00.000-08:00

Bismillah Wa Salat Wa Salaam 'Ala Rasulilah Salalahu 'Alayhi Wasalam

It is narrated that ‘Uthmân b. Áffân – Allâh be pleased with him – said in a sermon:

"Son of Adam! Know that the angel of death who has been assigned to you has not ceased to pass you and moved on to others, ever since you have been in this world. But it is as if he is about to pass someone else and move on to target you, so be careful and prepare for him (by correcting your deeds). And do not forget him, for he does not forget you. And know o son of Adam, if you are heedless about yourself and do not prepare, no one else will prepare for you. You must meet Allah the Mighty and Majestic, so take for yourself and do not leave it to someone else. Peace be on you. "

Abû Bakr Al-Daynûrî, Al-Mujâlasah wa Jawâhir Al-Ílm 2: 73, 74.

- Alister.

The Verdict

2010-01-04T16:15:00.000-08:00

Bismillah.

You have got to be kidding me; how is winter break done already? Don't get me wrong, I love school...I just don't love the stress, the commitment, and the having-no-life-because-I-live-in-the-library lifestyle.

Oh well, this break was nice while it lasted. And for those of you that were wondering (ie. all of you) how my list came along, this is how it went down.

Got Surah Kahf, check point pleaseeeee!
Nope, I didn't catch up to my 'competitor'. But on the brightside, she's only 5 pages ahead.
Not only did I not clean out my inbox, but I think another 100 unread messages just got added. My bad.
No and Facebook cannot even be used in the same sentence. I think I lasted for 3 days.
I didn't get to review Fiqh of Salah completely, but I did some of it, walhamdulillah.
Word Bukhaari has been sitting on my drawer the past 2 weeks. I read like 3 other books, just not his. No disrespect.

Now if you don't mind, I'm going to go prepare for my last day off school. I always hated Wednesdays.

- Alister.

Pass the Pipe

2009-12-28T16:12:00.000-08:00

Bismillah.

Okay this is how I know I live an extremeeeely sheltered life. So a few months ago, I spent my summer vacation in London with relatives and one thing I found absolutely fascinating was how people actually smoked shisha in the restaurants. Like I would literally crane my neck as we were turning the corner; and I considered taking out my camera, but I was never quick enough. Of course I don't promote it in any sense, but I just admired how the city was so multicultural. Kinda made me laugh too.

Now flash forward 4 months. I don't know how or when I realized it or came to know of it, but the point is, I did. People in the city of Toronto smoke shisha like its water. And not just any people; people that I know, and that I am acquainted with. They smoke it on a regular basis, and the worst part is, they're okay with it. La howla wa la quwata ila billah.

You don't look cool with smoke coming out of your mouth, so please stop snapping pictures of yourself, have some self-respect. What are you trying to flaunt? The fact that you just inhaled a heck of a lot of danger into your system; don't embarrass yourself buddy.

"According to a recent World Health Organization (WHO) advisory, a typical one-hour session of hookah smoking exposes the user to 100 to 200 times the volume of smoke inhaled from a single cigarette. Even after passing through the water, the tobacco smoke produced still contains high levels of toxic compounds, including carbon monoxide, heavy metals and cancer-causing chemicals."

If there is anyoneee out there who can vouch for all the shisha lovers out there and prove to me that it's harmless, then please step forward.

Come on son, you might as well smoke cigarettes.

- Alister.

It's like Facebook; without the fitna.

2009-12-27T23:54:00.000-08:00

Bismillah.

Guess who just made an account on Madina.com. Now from what I'm hearing, it's supposed to be like the halal version of Facebook (umm..since when was Facebook haram) but anyways, I just decided to go ahead and volunteer myself to test it out; take one for the team, you know. I'll let you guys know how it goes; but so far from the 10 minutes I was on it I saw only khayr. Obviously no website is perfect, so I just need to wait it out to see the other side of Madina.com; not that I'm looking for flaws, but come on...who are we kidding. So just stay tuned, I can sense some interesting stories coming up.

Let's get ready to rumble.

- Alister.

No Comment

2009-12-24T20:07:00.000-08:00

Bismillah.

So being the stalker that I am, I was on Tarek Fatah's fan page on Facebook (say word this dude has fans) and this girl asks him a question.

"Dear Tarek, what is the opinon in the RIS in Toronto? My cousins are going." (take in the 'dear')

Now before I mention his answer, let me just ask. Since when is he qualified to give Islamic opinions? Really are some people that stupid? I wouldn't even ask him for the time!

So he says, "It is an annual male jamboree of the world Islamist movement to thumb their noses at the West. There is a heavy Muslim Brotherhood presence and the series started with backing the Saudi based organization, WAMY. Chances are your cousins will come back intoxicated with a sense of victimhood and a desire to introduce sharia law in North America. However, as one young man told me, "It is also a great place for 'brothers' to meet 'sisters' in a halal environment".

Can someone please deport this man?

- Alister.

Public Service Announcement

2009-12-24T19:31:00.000-08:00

Bismillah.

It has come to my attention that some Muslims are unaware that Christmas has no basis in Islam; so listen up.

I don't want to see you guys wishing eachother merry christmas on your Facebook status, and I don't want to see you flaunting yourself online with your Santa Clause hat, and I most definitely do not want to see pictures of you sitting on some fat guy's lap wearing red pajamas. That's just embarassing, and I'm pretty sure it's haraam.

Fear Allah. Christmas is bid'ah; even Jesus knows that.

- Alister.

We Need HELP

2009-12-24T19:20:00.000-08:00

Bismillah.

Once upon a time, Islaam was the most powerful and respected religion in the world. Back in those days, Muslims used to look out for eachother, and they were united.

Now look at us. We can't even call ourselves an ummah because we aren't united. We fight eachother, hate eachother, and have anything but love between our hearts. And the thing I hate the most is that people don't salaam me back when I say as-salaamu 'alaykum; don't be taking my haqq from me.

But really, does it take a rocket scientist to see the solution? What is it that is lacking from Muslims in our time that has hindered us from establishing the honour and glory that was given to the Muslims in the generations that came before us? Why are we stuck at the bottom. and how did we get here in the first place?

لَهُ مُعَقِّبَاتٌ مِّن بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ يَحْفَظُونَهُ مِنْ أَمْرِ اللّهِ إِنَّ اللّهَ لاَ يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّى يُغَيِّرُواْ مَا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ وَإِذَا أَرَادَ اللّهُ بِقَوْمٍ سُوءًا فَلاَ مَرَدَّ لَهُ وَمَا لَهُم مِّن دُونِهِ مِن وَالٍ

For his sake there are angels following one another, before him and behind him, who guard him by Allah's commandment; surely Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change their own condition; and when Allah intends evil to a people, there is no averting it, and besides Him they have no protector. [Surah ar- Ra'ad:11]

Forget about the khalifa, he's not here and no one knows who or where he is. The only thing left is for you to suck it up and just work on changing yourself.

Think about it, if we became a nation of Muslims who obeyed the commands of our Lord, then the Mercy of Allah would descend on to us and then and only then will the honour and glory be returned to the Muslims.

I do realize that this isn't an easy thing, actions speak louder than words, so that's why I'm saying like we should all bring the responsibility on to ourselves and just start doing little things that will make us among those who Allah loves.

How often does it say in the Qur'aan "Inna Allah yuhib (verily Allah loves) *insert characterstic here*. So you got a few choices: tawaabeen (those who repent), mutadaahireen (those who purify themselves), sabireen (the patient) and the list goes on. Like really, we have no excuse.

So let's go people. I wanna see the ummah back in shape before 2012, because we all know whats going down (I am so kidding by the way).

But really, when it gets to the point that I see Muslims wishing eachother "Merry Christmas", and at the same time they're writing all over their Facebook page "Islam" with little hearts all around it, I have to question what brands of Muslims there are running around this world. Don't even get me started on Tarek Fatah, that dude is beyond confused.

Speaking of Christmas, my mom showed me this video (you can watch it here: http://us.cnn.com/video/?/video/world/2009/12/24/ctw.watson.turkish.santa.cnn).

Allahuma a'izz al-Islaam wa al-Muslimeen, wa adhil ash-shirk wa al-Mushrikeen.

- Alister.

Ruling on offering congratulations at the beginning of the Hijri year

2009-12-19T20:46:00.000-08:00

Praise be to Allaah.

What is the ruling on offering congratulations on the occasion of the Hijri new year and saying “Kull ‘aam wa antum bi khayr” or praying for blessing, or sending a card with best wishes for blessings in the new year?

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked: What is the ruling on congratulating people on the occasion of the Hijri new year, and how should one reply to a person who offers congratulations?
He replied:

If someone offers you congratulations, then respond to him, but do not initiate such greetings. This is the correct view concerning this matter. So if a person says to you, for example, “Happy New Year”, then you can say, “May Allaah make it a good and blessed year for you.” But you should not initiate such a greeting, because I do not know of any report that the salaf [early generations of Islam] congratulated one another on the occasion of the new year, rather the salaf did not regard the first of Muharram as the first day of the new year until the caliphate of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him.

Shaykh ‘Abd al-Kareem al-Khudayr said concerning offering congratulations on the occasion of the hijri new year:

Praying for another Muslim in general terms, in phrases that are not meant as a kind of ritual on special occasions such as Eid, is acceptable, especially if what is meant by this greeting is friendship and to show a friendly face to one’s fellow Muslim. Imaam Ahmad (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “I do not initiate the greeting but if someone greets me I return the greeting, because responding to the greeting is obligatory.

But being the first to offer congratulations is neither Sunnah nor forbidden.

- Alister.

Who Wants Some?

2009-12-18T16:19:00.000-08:00

I swear if those kids don't start jumping up and down out of excitement, I'm keeping them all to myself. And for the record, as tempted as I was to steal them all, I only ate one m and m.

So who wants to clean up the mess? I'm willing to offer some cookies.

- Alister.

Not My Typical Friday Evening.

2009-12-18T15:34:00.000-08:00

Bismillah.

Sighhh. On a day like today, I would usually spend my evening at the masjid catching up with my sisters in Islam and listening to the weekly halaqa.

Or, right now I could be at my friend's bridal shower...or I could be at a friends house, anywhere actually.

But no. Because of this one day when I agreed to be a subsitute teacher, my Friday has changed drastically.

So I volunteer on weekends at the weekend school at my masjid. Usually I just doeasy work like recording the registration files, doing weekly qur'aan review with the kids or selling the pizza at lunch; but this one time, I was asked to supervise a class because the teacher felt ill. Seemed like an easy job, how bad could it be. Little did I know that 6 year olds are THE most hyper age group. Ever!

All they had to do was copy down word for word the Arabic sentences that were written on the board, three times each. These kids couldn't even do one sentence. I have formed a hypothesis that at this age, children begin to experience sypmtoms of deafness, because no matter how many times I told them to sit in their seats, I would always have three or four kids pulling on my abaya asking me questions.

In an effort to get them to do their work faster, I added a bit of excitement to the class and told them that anyone who finished would get a special prize from me next weekend. Needless to say, it worked like a charm.

The next day, a couple of the kids from that class ran to me and asked when they would be getting their prizes. I reminded them that I said I'd get it next week, and so they walked away dissapointedly. Sadly, I completely forgot about this little agreement that I had with them, so I came back the next weekend empty handed. And the weekend after that. And the weekened after that weekend too.

So here I am, sitting at home, waiting for the cookies in the oven. Hopefully none of them have chocolate allergies, because I really need to get this commitement off my chest. Seriously, it confuses me as to how whenever I told them not to get out of their seats, they would forget in an instant; but when it comes to prizes, they will never let it go.

Anyways, I learned my lesson. Stick to office duty.

- Alister.

Doesn't It Hurt?

2009-12-17T21:31:00.000-08:00

Bismillah wa alhamdulillah wa salaatu wa salaam 'ala rasoolillah.

I don't know if it's just me this happens to, but for some reason whenever I hear people swear, I literally cringe. Like not in a scaredy-cat sense, but like I just got slapped in the face. Even though I've been exposed to this my whole life, I still get shocked when I see a hijabi..actually ESPECIALLY a hijabi, swearing. And they do it like its no big deal, like it just rolls off the tongue. No! It should not roll, it should struggle to leave your mouth. What kind of perception are you giving to non-Muslims who see you speaking like this? Common sense people; Muslim + swearing = big no no.

The one that reeeeally gets me so upset is when people say 'FML'. Allahu akbar; are you like dead serious, you really just said that...and you're fine with it? You are literally bringing the curse of Allah onto yourself, and that doesn't scare you at all? And to anyone who doesn't understand this acronym, you really need to make sujood ash-shukr right now; Allah has clearly protected you from being surrounded by people who lack hayaa.

What is the state of the ummah then, if the Muslim youth are so captivated in following in the speech of the kufaar? Walaahi if this does not bring tears to your eyes and put pain in your heart, then you are lost; for you have no feelings for your brothers and sisters in Islaam.

May Allah guide the Muslim youth to the straight path and protect them from the temptations of the shaytaan.

It is not befitting for a Muslim male for female to use such language that is foul and extremely derogatory. It's beyond disgusting, and really you're just demeaning yourself as well as tarnishing your record. Two for one.

Are you seriously telling me that you are actually brave enough and comfortable knowing that on the Day when every little word you ever said will be presented to you, while at the same time you are standing before your Lord. Have you then no shame? Or do you just deny this?

Abdullah ibn Umar (radhiyAllahu 'anhu) narrated that the Prophet (sal Allahu 'alayhi wa salam) said: "Indeed haya (modesty) and Iman are Companions. When one of them is lifted, the other leaves as well." (Baihaqi)

Narrated on the authority of Anas bin Malik, the Prophet (sal Allahu 'alayhi wa salam) said: When lewdness is a part of anything, it becomes defective; and when haya is a part of anything it becomes beautiful. (Tirmidhi)

The two just don't go together. Islam is a religion of modesty and shyness and no one in their right mind can argue that cursing and swearing can be considered modest or shy.

It doesn't even bring any benefit. If anything, it's just a signal as to when shaytaan has gained control over you. So actually, for some people it might be a benefit because they might realize that they're getting too upset...but still. That doesn't make it a good thing.

For your own sake, and the for the sake of your akhira, please just clean up your language.

Imagine the first time you are meeting with your Creator; The One Who loves you more than anyone. Wouldn't you want that to be a moment of enjoyment, where you have nothing to be ashamed of except the sins you commited? Or are you just going to add more pressure on to yourself and ruin your only chance?

Don't let shaytaan get to you and say "whatever, its a habit. You can't stop now." Yes you can! You just need willpower and determination. I guarantee you that if you leave this for the sake of Allah, then you will be more than pleased; so don't short change yourself. And if you struggle with it, then that just means your reward will be that much more greater. This could be the reason why you become among those who Allah bestowed His Love upon, and they were saved from the Fire, may Allah make us all from those people.

Switch up the bad words with dhikr. If something displeasing happens to you, remember Allah; say alhamdulillah 'alaa kuli haal. It will teach you patience, and verily Allah is with the patient. Or when you get mad and you feel like swearing, seek refuge with Allah and say a'udhubillahi min ash-shaytaan ar-rajeem; or make wudu, because wudu extinguishes anger like water extinguishes fire.

So if you're like me, and swearing hurts you, then pass on this message. Or if you're someone who uses bad language, do us all a favour and work on it.

Swearing is like drugs; that's some nasty stuff.

- Alister.

FREEDOM

2009-12-11T12:32:00.000-08:00

Al-hamdulillah, thumma al-hamdulillah

I am finally doneee all of my final exams, really I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Now I can go back to doing what I want to do, and not having bonding time with my textbooks (no offence guys). Literally, I danced (in my mind) out of the exam hall today. I've never felt this much excitement since I left highschool.

Yes, I feel the excitement already. Not to brag or anything, but I actually counted and my winter break is exactly 26 days. Shocking, I know-- it's almost a whole month.

Al-hamdulillah that Allah has given me this much time. It really is a test. A month without school? How will I spend my time? That's one of the first things I will be asked about on the day of judgement, how I spent my time. And more specifically, how I spent my youth. So I've decided that I will use this winter break as kind of a work-out session, but not like working out as in excercise, but rather securing my much needed spot in Jannah.

I have compiled a list of things I need to do, and for motivational purposes I'd like to share some. But there are some I'd rather not, in an effort to keep my intentions sincere.

THE LIST (did I ever mention how much I love Roman numerals?)

(i) Re-memorize the first 10 ayaat of surah al-Kahf

Okay I put this one at the top of my list because I am soo feeling the Dajjal is almost here. Allah knows best, but its better to be safe than sorry right?

(ii) Catch up to my competitor

This one is somewhat embarassing, but I deserve to be embarassed. There's this girl in my qur'aan class, and she's 3 years yonger than me...and she's like a whole juz ahead of me. Worst part is, just a few weeks ago, we were on the same page. Allahu musta'aan. Make's me want to smack myself. But now that I have no school, no life, and no commitments, I should be able to pass her in a flash bi idhnillah.

(iii) Clean out my inbox

Pretty much self explanatory. And I'm not talking about spam or junk mail (gmail is extremely efficient in handling this). Seriously, as of now my inbox says I have 1795 unread messages. I'd like to call myself popular, but who am I kidding, its all Facebook notifications.

(iv) No Facebook

Not that I have anything against Facebook, I love it actually. And a lot of khayr comes out of it. But I'm just doing this to determine how much control I really have over my nafs. And to put the stakes a bit higher, I won't even deactivate it. Just let those notifications keep hitting my phone. Muahaha-- I'm my own bully.

(v) Review Fiqh of Salah

This one hurts the most. This was my favourite al-Maghrib course everrrrr, but other than the stuff I've implemented, I feel like I forgot most of the information. So anyways, me and a couple of girls will be starting sessions at Abu Huraira (http://www.abuhuraira.org/). If you want to join us, just look for a gang with lime green books. Admission is free, donations accepted.

(vi) Abu 'Abdullah Muhammad ibn Ismaa'eel ibn Ibraaheem ibn al-Mughira ibn Bardizbah al-Bukhaaree

His name is sooo cool. I had to memorize it a year ago for this hadith course I was taking. Atleast I can say I learned one thing from that class. Anywho, I got this book from Al-Huda talking about his biography, and I lost it. Alhamdulillah, my mom found it-- so I'm gonna read up on him. I have big plans for my sons, so this will be some inspiration.

O Allah, I ask you to put baraka in my time, and to protect me from preoccupying myself with things that will not benefit me or bring me closer to You.

Pretty much, I'm way past stoked. And while most students will waste their time over-sleeping, watching tv or doing other useless things, I will be working.

And guess what, I don't get minimum wage.

- Alister.

Laugh Out Loud.

2009-12-11T07:20:00.000-08:00

Bismillah.

Okay, so there's no such thing as a stupid question; but there definitely is such thing as a funny one. I was just on Islam Q and A browsing through their recent fatwas and I just happened to stumble accross this...

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What is the ruling on students cheating in tests at school?.

Praise be to Allaah.

The hadeeth, “Whoever cheats us is not one of us” is saheeh, and it is general in meaning, including cheating in buying and selling, in giving advice, and in promises and covenants, in trusts, in exams in schools and institutes, and so on. That includes copying out material from books, taking answers from other students and giving them answers, whether spoken or written down on papers passed among them.

And Allaah is the Source of strength.

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 12/200

http://islamqa.com/en/ref/45433

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Just for the record, I don't find the question funny. It's a good question. The thing that made me laugh was when I started visualizing the person writing this.

In my head I imagined a male highschool student studying for a test but then gave up and decided that he would just copy off the person beside him. Then as he tried to sleep, his conscience ate at him until he finally decided to email Shaykh Muhammad Saalih al-Munajjid and the Islam Q and A crew about his plan.

Tough luck kid.

- Alister.

The Real Hijaab

2009-12-10T20:16:00.001-08:00

Bismillah,

I just finished reading 'The Hijaab [Jilbaab] of the Muslims Woman as in the Qur'aan and Sunnah" by Imaam Al-Albaani, and I must say I really enjoyed it. If anyone wants to borrow it, let me know. I really reccomend it for every single Muslim woman, whether you wear hijaab or not, it's definitely a must-read.

Props to you Albaani, for writing my new-favourite gem. I'll post up my favourite parts of his book on hijaab soon in shaa' Allah, and of course, the conditions of hijaab.

- Alister.

Well...That Was Brutal

2009-12-10T15:36:00.000-08:00

Bismillah.

Right now, as you read this, my fingers are recovering from their first frostbite of the season. After spending 48 hours indoors, the weather really took me by surprise. As much as I love you winter, I must admit you just came waaay to harsh. Calm down please.

Anyways, it was like soo cold. Too cold. And it reminded me of this hadith:

The Prophet May Allah’s peace and praise be on him said, “In very hot weather delay the Dhuhr prayer till it becomes (a bit) cooler because the severity of heat is from the raging of the Hell-fire. The Hell-fire of Hell complained to its Lord saying: O Lord! My parts are eating (destroying) one another. So Allah allowed it to take two breaths, one in the winter and the other in the summer. The breath in the summer is at the time when you feel the severest heat and the breath in the winter is at the time when you feel the severest cold.”

So the harshness of the wind soon turned into a reminder from my Lord, and alhamdulillah I saw it.

Imagine how much more intensified that pain would be if I were in Hell, may Allah protect me from entering it. Each day I step outside, Allah is reminding me; he's giving me another chance to protect myself from the torments of Hell.

The Prophet May Allah’s peace and praise be on him was asked about the things which would enable most people to enter Paradise. He answered: Being careful about one’s obligations to Allah, and good behaviour. Thereafter, he was asked: What are those things which will lead a person into Hell? He answered: His mouth and his private parts. [ Hadith - Bukhari 8.485, Narrated Abu Huraira May Allah be pleased with him ]

Save yourself while you still can.

And for those of you still wondering, my fingers feel fine now, alhamdulillah.

- Alister.

With My Veil...

2009-12-10T08:05:00.000-08:00

Bismillah

"With my veil, I put my faith on display--rather than my beauty. My value as a human is defined by my relationship with God, not by my looks. I cover the irrelevant. And when you look at me, you don't see a body.You view me only for what I am: a servant of my Creator. You see, as a Muslim woman, I've been liberated from a silent kind of bondage. I don't answer to the slaves of God on earth. I answer to the King."

[ Taken from my beloved Sumayya al-Mujaahida ] .

- Alister.

My Kind of Humour

2009-12-08T16:14:00.000-08:00

Bismillah.

One thing I love about going to school in downtown Toronto is that I really feel like I'm exposed to such fascinating things. Everyday something weird happens to me and although some people would see it as a nuisance, I just look for the humour in it; works like a charm.

Anywho, enough of my explanation, let's study the cases.

Case 1: Jesus' Best Friend

Okay this guy gets the crown for being the most creative. I kid you not, he makes my day every morning. He's so hilarious. Walks around in his cotton shorts and oversized wife beater, carrying a yellow plastic bag. EVERYDAY. And to top it all of, he's always saying, "Jesus is coming. Jesus is coming.". Subhan Allah, you couldn't be more right.

Actually, the other day I heard him say, "Jesus will be here." So I think he's trying to get creative and get over his one-liner.

Case 2: Tim

Okay his name isn't really Tim, but I just call him that because he lives outside of the Tim Horton's. He really makes me smile because he always says something nice to each person who walks by him. May Allah guide him, he seems like he would the kind of person perfect for da'wah.

I like to pretend we're best friends, but truth be told...I'm sure he couldn't tell the difference between me and his left shoe. Drugs are bad.

Case 3: The Dealer

Definitely the most intimidating. I appreciate you trying to offer me drugs but no...I don't want some most certainly don't need them; even if you're offering me for free. Alhamdulillah shaytaan hasn't even tried to tempt me with this one; in sha' Allah it stays that way.

Case 4: The Aspiring Musicians

Truthfully, these guys kind of piss me off. It's so annoying how they're playing their garbage in public, and I have nowhere to run because I'm waiting for the train. True, some people may enjoy their music-- but judging from the lack of "appreciation" (ie. money) from your audience...I'm guessing you have more fingers than fans. Do us all a favour and put yourself on mute. Subhan Allah, if you're that desperate for money, just ask.

I really think I should have my own TV show. Or atleast a documentary.

- Alister.

Frustrationnn!

2009-12-03T19:03:00.001-08:00

Bismillah.

So I'm sure I've made it clear by now that I am soo extremely happy and pleased with my friends and how blessed I am to have met them..but seriously today was just a reminder for me on how grateful I really should be.

So lately I've been spending a lot of time not socializing and just studying for exams (my only breaks are spent either on my blog or Facebook) and so I haven't really seen them in a while and I haven't been at the masjid for a few weeks either.

The only people I actually see are my school friends, and alhamdulillah most of them I learn a lot from and ma sha Allah I love spending time with...but some are just not good for the soul. Literally.

Little things like eating halaal food, behaving modestly, not swearing--that are considered a no brainer for me, are like non exsistent to these girls. Subhan Allah; like I really want to just scream and ask them if they're in their right mind. You wear hijaab for a reason, now please just practice your deen a little bit more effectively.

I wish I could just run away...but sadly I can't. I just hope this daily influence doesn't rub off on me. I've gone from going to the masjid 5 days a week...to zero. I am in serious need of an iman rush.

I can't wait until exams are done; I always knew school was bad for you're health.

- Alister

I Know Why She Was Crying

2009-12-03T06:33:00.000-08:00

Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'oon.

Last Thursday, I went to the janaaza of my friend's grandfather and, to say the least, I walked out with a better understanding of just how ignorant some people can be. Subhan Allah, it was as if there was a veil over their hearts so they could not understand the true purpose as to why we as Muslims should attend the salaat al-janaaza.

Honestly, at first as I observed the people entering the masjid, I thought it was beautiful to see people from all corners of the city gathering together to comfort the family and give their condolences. But before Dhuhr salah, the imam was giving a small talk on the reality of death and how we should prepare for it...but I could not help but notice that most of the women were just gossiping and chatting-- not paying attention at all to the shaykh.

May Allah forgive them, I'm not one to judge so I decided to ignore them and just listened more intently. Still though, if you want to have a chat, by all means go ahead. But use common sense and do it in the right place, at the right time. Anyways, back to my reflection.

The whole atmosphere gave me chills; I imagined myself in the dead man's position, may Allah have mercy on him. Subhan Allah, I could not surpress the tears flowing from my eyes, and I turned to my friend beside me and she too seemed to be lost in thought.

The thing about this specific masjid is that the majority (pretty much all) of Somaalis in Toronto are brought there to have their bodies washed, and prayed on. So just thinking about that and listening to the lecture at the same time was enough to make even the hardest heart break down; because we all know that this is where we'll end up before we are taken to our graves.

We'll probably even hear the same Imam speaking. The same topic. The same masjid.

After the salah, I went to go look for my friend. I found her sitting in chair with her little sister, both of them looked okay alhamdulillah, but as I hugged her and she turned to face me, we both broke down.

"You know," she told me, "We're all gonna end up like that. We're gonna die eventually". And I could do nothing but nod my head, as we sat silently in the dark mussala. I could see the tears streaming from her face, and I could feel the tears streaming from mine. But walaahi thumma walaahi, I swear that this friend of mine who I love dearly for the sake of Allah was not crying for any vain reason. Nor was she crying simply because she missed her grandfather, but rather because she understood that she would also be in his position.

She was of the few who realized that death can hit us at any time, any age, any place. These were not just any tears flowing from her cheeks, these were tears flowing from eyes who were aware that they would one day be alone in their grave with nothing to accompany them but their deeds. She accepted the fact that Allah had taken the soul of her grandfather, and she too would soon return to her Lord.

She was crying from her fear of the reality of death, and I pray that Allah subhan wa ta'aala gives her husn al-khaatima (the good end) and that she is protected from 'adhaab al-qabr (torments of the grave).

She was strong her in faith, and knew that there was no better place for her grandfather to be than with his Creator. And she understood that if she remained patient in times of hardship, her reward was waiting for her and she would be among the successful.

وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنَ الْخَوفْ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ الأَمَوَالِ وَالأنفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ

And We will most certainly try you with somewhat of fear and hunger and loss of property and lives and fruits; and give good news to the patient,

الَّذِينَ إِذَا أَصَابَتْهُم مُّصِيبَةٌ قَالُواْ إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعونَ

Who say, when afflicted with calamity: "To Allah We belong, and to Him is our return"

أُولَـئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَاتٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ وَأُولَـئِكَ هُمُ الْمُهْتَدُونَ

Those are they on whom are blessings and mercy from their Lord, and they are the ones that receive guidance.

[Baqarah:155-157]

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May Allah grant her grandfather the highest level of Jannah, al-Firdaus al-A'la, and may He reunite their whole family in the Hereafter.

- Alister.

Exaaams

2009-12-01T08:19:00.000-08:00

Bismillah.

It's the last week of school and I've just been studying like crazy for final exams. Being the intelligent man that he is, Muhammad Al-Shareef recently sent out an email to remind students during these tough times to remember how similar school exams are to the test of this world.

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An A Grade Final Exam

You may know someone who is studying for final exams these days. Final exams are always a nice time to focus on the true exam of life.

1. In school, you can often redo your exam if you fail. In the hereafter, if one fails there is no going back.

2. In school, you often do not know what questions will be asked. In the hereafter, there are only 3 questions: Who is your Lord? What is your Deen? And who is this man who was sent to you? But the answers are answers you live by.

3. In school, we stay up at night to prepare for the exam the next day. So too in Allah's exam, we should be staying up in night prayers.

4. In school, we pray and hope and work for an outstanding mark. So too should be our attitude towards Allah's exam.

5. In school, when we get a great mark, we erupt with happiness. So too will the believers erupt in happiness when they get their books in their right hands. Work for it.

6. In school, when we get a bad mark, sadness can be seen on our faces, and we dislike to face others. So too in the hereafter. Protect yourself from that.

7. During a school exam, you cannot ask anyone for help. In the hereafter, you can prepare from now to get assistance from Allah's Messenger, the Quran, and other ways of intercession.

8. In school, when exam time draws near, we banish distractions to focus on what is really important. In Allah's exam, isn't death within 1 heart beat? Banish distractions and focus.

9. In school, until exam results come out, we worry about the result. In Allah's exam, we don't know what our result will be, so we spend our days in hope and worry until the results come out.

With best wishes to see you succeed at the highest level!
- Muhammad Alshareef

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If you haven't signed up for his mailing list yet...get on it.

- Alister.

Stuck in Sajdah

2009-12-01T07:18:00.000-08:00

Bismillah.

This a true story. Happened to me a few days ago actually. And although this memory will scar me for life, I must admit; there is no greater position to be stuck in, than sujood.

So I was at Almaghrib this weekend learning about the fiqh of salah and, just before Dhuhr, the shaykh was teaching us what women should do in case the microphone cuts off and they can't hear the imam anymore. What he said was that one of the women in the middle of the first row should start leading, or more preferably, everyone just continues their salah on their own. Even if the mic comes back on.

Right after that, we had a break for lunch and so we lined up to pray Dhuhur in a jamaa'ah with the males on the first floor (below a balcony) and the women on the second floor (standing in front of the balcony). I didn't see any problem with this concept, seeing as how it worked perfectly fine the weekend before, but I did happen notice that I could not hear the muadhin properly; I just ignored that and prepared myself for salah.. This turned out to be a big mistake.

I never heard the imam say the takbirat ul-ihraam (opening takbir), neither did I hear him go into rukoo' or come back up from it. I kid you not, the whole time I was following the actions of the people in front of me and at first I thought this little genius plan of mine worked perfectly fine....until we got to sujood.

I think I was in that position for a good 5 or 6 minutes; honestly, I ran out of things to make du'aa for, so I decided to take a risk and just come up from sujood. That's when I noticed that half of the crowd in front of me were standing and the rest who were behind me were in sujood. So as I got up to catch up to them, the imam started going for rukoo' (or atleast I thought it was rukoo').

To sum it all up, I had just experienced the most confusing salah of my life. On the bright side, I was able to implement what I learned and that allowed me to save what was left of my belittled Dhuhur salah.

You'd think that after that whole ordeal we would have learned our lesson...but sadly the same thing happened during 'Asr. Needless to say, we started our own jamaa'ah for Maghrib.

Gotta love those funny moments in salah.

- Alister.

Don't Be A Hypocrite

2009-11-17T08:06:00.000-08:00

Bismillah.

I was listening surah Hadeed this morning on the subway and subhan Allah, today was the day that I realized I reeeeally need to learn arabic like properly. Alhamdulillah, I can understand bits of it, but it really hurt me since I knew I wasn't getting the true meaning of these ayaat.

Anyways, I just wanted to share these few verses that really touched me emotionally. Walahi, when Allah subhana wa ta'ala mentions the conversation between the munafiqeen and the mu'mineen, I could imagine myself on that day standing there. And I pray to Allah that He saves me from being among the group who will not be given His Mercy. I always knew that being a hypocrite was bad, but I never realized the true extremity of its punishment and how fearful they will be on that day.

--------

يَوۡمَ تَرَى ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَـٰتِ يَسۡعَىٰ نُورُهُم بَيۡنَ أَيۡدِيہِمۡ وَبِأَيۡمَـٰنِهِم بُشۡرَٮٰكُمُ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ جَنَّـٰتٌ۬ تَجۡرِى مِن تَحۡتِہَا ٱلۡأَنۡہَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيہَا‌ۚ ذَٲلِكَ هُوَ ٱلۡفَوۡزُ ٱلۡعَظِيمُ

The day when you will see the believing men and believing women, that their light runs before them and on their right - it beings said to them, "This day, the best tidings for you are the Gardens beneath which rivers flow - abide in it forever; this is the greatest success."

يَوۡمَ يَقُولُ ٱلۡمُنَـٰفِقُونَ وَٱلۡمُنَـٰفِقَـٰتُ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱنظُرُونَا نَقۡتَبِسۡ مِن نُّورِكُمۡ قِيلَ ٱرۡجِعُواْ وَرَآءَكُمۡ فَٱلۡتَمِسُواْ نُورً۬ا فَضُرِبَ بَيۡنَہُم بِسُورٍ۬ لَّهُ ۥ بَابُۢ بَاطِنُهُ ۥ فِيهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَةُ وَظَـٰهِرُهُ ۥ مِن قِبَلِهِ ٱلۡعَذَابُ

The day when hypocrite men and hypocrite women will say to the Muslims, “Look mercifully towards us, so that we may gain some of your light!”; it will be said to them, “Turn back, search light over there!”; so they will turn around, whereupon a wall will be erected between them, in which is a gate; inside the gate is mercy, and on the outer side is the punishment.

يُنَادُونَہُمۡ أَلَمۡ نَكُن مَّعَكُمۡ‌ۖ قَالُواْ بَلَىٰ وَلَـٰكِنَّكُمۡ فَتَنتُمۡ أَنفُسَكُمۡ وَتَرَبَّصۡتُمۡ وَٱرۡتَبۡتُمۡ وَغَرَّتۡكُمُ ٱلۡأَمَانِىُّ حَتَّىٰ جَآءَ أَمۡرُ ٱللَّهِ وَغَرَّكُم بِٱللَّهِ ٱلۡغَرُورُ

The hypocrites will call out to the Muslims, “Were we not with you?”; they will answer, “Yes you were, why not? But you had put your souls into trial, and you used to await misfortune for the Muslims, and you doubted, and false hopes deceived you until Allah’s command came - and the big cheat had made you conceited towards the command of Allah.”

فَٱلۡيَوۡمَ لَا يُؤۡخَذُ مِنكُمۡ فِدۡيَةٌ۬ وَلَا مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ‌ۚ مَأۡوَٮٰكُمُ ٱلنَّارُ‌ۖ هِىَ

مَوۡلَٮٰكُمۡ‌ۖ وَبِئۡسَ ٱلۡمَصِير

“So this day no ransom is to be taken from you nor from the declared disbelievers; your destination is the fire; that is your companion; and what a wretched outcome!”

[ Surah Hadeed : 12-15 ]

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This reminder goes for myself first; whenever you are doing an action that is pleasing to Allah, check your intentions constantly. Because it can either get you the ultimate reward, or the ultimate humiliation.

- Alister.

Alhamdulillah 'ala kuli haal

2009-11-11T19:13:00.000-08:00

Bismillah.

For all that has happened.
And what's yet to come.
I ask you, Oh Allah.
To make me and my family among the sabireen.
And to allow our sins to be expiated through this tribulation.
Oh Allah, I place my trust in You.
For verily, You are the best of Protectors.
And those who oppose you have no defenders.
Oh Allah, set my heart at ease.
And allow me to understand,
That You have a plan.
And you do not burden Your slaves with more than they can bear.
Verily, to You we belong.
And unto You we shall return.

"And be patient; verily, Allah loses not the reward of the good-doers" (Surah Hud: 115)

- Alister.

Odd..

2009-11-09T05:49:00.000-08:00

Bismillah.

So this is like completely random, but yesterday I just realized something. And I can't get it out of my head. That annoying shaytaan Khanzab uses it as a weapon against me. (Khanzab is the name of the shaytaan responsible for destroying your khusoo' in salah).

Why is it that when talking about the last day, we most often say Day of Judgement (for english) and Yawm al-Qiyaamah (for arabic).

Does anyone share in my confusion? Like why don't we say Yawm ad-Deen & Day of Judgment OR Yawm al-Qiyaamah & Day of Standing. The was the biggest shocker for me actually, when we were learning about qiyaam al-Layl it just hit me. Yawm al-Qiyaamah in actuallity means day of standing. Subhan Allah, it only helps us to realize the severity of that day; the fact that standing is a defining factor of that day.

And you know what else? Like whenever I get off the subway (during peak hours) and like everyone is crowded together, or if I'm just in a largely populated area, walaahi I get chilss. I think to myself, is this what it will look like on the day of Standing. Everyone just crowded together, moving in one big mass. May Allah grant us His Protection on that day.

Anywhoooo, enough of this random business. I was just itching to share that with the world.

- Alister.

Think About It

2009-11-09T05:19:00.000-08:00

Bismillah.

What really baffles my mind these days is when I see young Muslims who are striving hard to increase their iman and taqwa through various actions like learning the qur'aan, studying the deen, and fighting 'in the way of Allah'. Now what gets me is that all of these actions, while are generous in their production of hasanaat, won't necessarily prevent you from entering Jannah and gaining the pleasure of Allah if you don't do them...but the mistreatment of parents will.

Do you really think that if you spend your whole day memorizing qur'aan, reading qur'aan, learning the tafseer and whatnot; then come home and speak to your mother in a way that is not befitting, that you are pleasing Allah? La howla wa quwata ila billah. In actuallity, it would have been better if you spent the day catering to your mother's needs and fulfilling her rights over you rather than preoccupying yourself with other deeds.

Do you really think that if you spend all of your days and all of your nights calling people to Islam, but then come home at a late time and leave your parents distressed and worried about your safety that you are pleasing Allah? I swear by Allah that it would have been more rewarding for you to respect your parents and ease their hearts by refraining from this.

I'm not saying that we should give up all good actions and instead just sit around like logs at home, but rather the point I'm trying to make is that we should always keep the status of our parents in mind, and the haqq that they have over us.

Think of it this way: if your parents are displeased with you, then Allah will likewise be displeased with you. Within reasonable limits of course, as long as it does not overstep the limits of shari'ah.

Jannah is closer than you think.

- Alister.

Where's your proof, akhi?

2009-11-07T21:36:00.000-08:00

Bismillah.

Shaykh al-Albaani once wrote, "So you see a layman who has no [juristic] understanding, yet when he asks a scholar for a ruling on an issue, even if the answer is a prohibition, he quickly adds, "What is the proof?" but sometimes it is not possible for a scholar to provide proofs, especially if it is arrived at by way of juristic derivation - not being stipulated in the Qur'aan or Sunnah such that it may be quoted.

In such a case the questioner should not try to delve into the issue by asking, "What is the proof?" Instead he should examine his own state: is he of those who understands proofs or not? Does he know the concept of general ('amm) and specific (khass); the unqualified (mutlaq) and qualified (muqayyid); the abrogating (nasikh) and abrogated (mansukh)? No, he understands nothing of this at all. Hence will his asking, "What is the proof?", "What is the basis?" be of any use to him?

So it is not always the case that a question will have a proof which will be understood by every Muslim, be he a layman or student of knowledge. Thus Allah says, "So ask the people of knowledge if you do not know."

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In the words of Abu Eesa, fiqh is not aqidah. So calm yoursleves.

- Alister.

I Dare You

2009-11-04T04:10:00.000-08:00

Bismillah.

So I was having a discussion with my friend the other day about what it would be like living in Jannah and some way or another, the topic of du'a came up. She told me that whenever she asked Allah for Jannah, she just kept it simple and asked for...well, simply Jannah.

The Prophet sal Allahu 'alayhi wa salam said, when you ask Him then ask for the Firdaus. It is in the middle and the top of the Jannah and above it the thrown of Allah from which the rivers of the Jannah come. [Bukhari]

Why would we deny ourselves the privilege to be granted entrance into the highest level of Jannah there is. Literally, it's just adding 3 syllables to your du'aa. Think about that for a minute; it's like if someone offered you a sock or a chocolate bar. The sock will keep you warm and does come in handy...but who wouldn't want chocolate? So next time your making du'aa to Allah subhana wa ta'aala, you know what to do.

Ask for the chocolate: I dare you.

- Alister.

Say Whaaat ?

2009-10-20T16:42:00.001-07:00

Alhamdulillahi wahda, wa salaatu wa salaam 'ala man la nabiya ba'da .

In lieu of the recent media attention on the proposed niqaab ban in Canada, I started doing more research into the reasons behind this 'women empowering' movement; starting with the MCC.

Okay, first of all, WHO ELECTED THESE PEOPLE TO REPRESENT CANADIAN MUSLIMS? Seriously, where did they come from and who gave them the right to speak for all of us. I am extremely confused.

Second, they have no credentials. How can you speak about our religion and make it your business to regulate it when you have no background in Islamic Studies. Am I the only one who sees this nonsense?

Finally, and this is the most pathetic, their website is a joke. Like are they serious about life? I was reading their article called 'Ban the Burka' and in it they say

"The MCC statement regretted that while the rest of the world is moving toward the goal of gender equality, right here in Canada Islamists are pushing back the clock, convincing educated Muslim women, they are no more than sexual objects and a source of sin, if they reveal their faces in public."

Whaaat? Where did they get this from? It really sickens me to see such ignorant people, especially when they claim to be Muslim.

Truth be told, if these are the people that are supposed to be defending my rights then I, as a Muslim Canadian female, do not want to meet my enemies. They would probably ask me to remove my head completely.

May Allah guide them.

- Alister.

Wa Allahu Khayr ar-Raziqeen

2009-10-20T07:21:00.000-07:00

Bismillah, walhamdulillah, wa salaatu wa salaam 'ala rasoolillah.

If someone were to ask you if you believed that Allah was truly ar-Razaaq, and that He would provide for you no matter what your situation was it is likely that we would say yes, of course; after all, our rizq has already been written for us long before we even entered this world. Why is it then that we as Muslims desperately try to attain wealth, no matter if it is halal or haraam, and behave as if we think of ourselves as self-sufficient.

كَلَّا إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَيَطْغَى

أَن رَّآهُ اسْتَغْنَ

Nay! Most surely man does transgress (all bounds).

For he thinks himself self-sufficient.

(Surah Alaq: 6-7)

Subhan Allah, it as if you deny Allah of His attributes and instead take your desires as your lord. Walaahi I have seen with my own eyes a homeless man who does nothing with his day except sit outside of Tim Horton's and greet all of those who walk past him. He doesn't work, doesn't exert much physical action actually, and yet everyday I see him with a meal. And not just something small; I'm talking like a full meal that you yourself would eat and get full from.

So how is it that someone who does not generate an income could provide sustenance for himself? Most people cannot even fathom this idea and instead just call this man 'blessed', while in fact this is a justification that Allah truly is ar-Razaaq and no one can take your rizq away from you no matter what your condition is.

On the other hand, I was having a conversation with a supply teacher a few months ago and he was explaining the amount of schooling that he had done. This man had a PhD in mannny subjects and according to the status quo, like others in his field, he should have been a wealthy man. I am not kidding when I say this man was an alcoholic, and dressed in a manner that would make you beleive he did not have access to adequate clothing.

Allahu akbar, look at the conditions of these two men and tell me that it does not strengthen your iman, your faith in Allah to provide for you through thick and thin. And on top of that, both of these men are not even Muslim; they are not even basking in the Mercy of Allah that has been reserved for the believers. How dare you deny yourself of the security and peace of mind knowing that there is no better provider for you than your Lord, the one Who created you.

'Umar Ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, "If you were to rely on Allah as He should be relied on, He would provide for you as He provides for the birds. They go out in the morning hungry and return in the evening full." [at-Tirmidhi]

- Alister.

SINS

2009-09-30T18:26:00.000-07:00

Bismillah.

same days,
same grays,
same strangers and strays,
just passing me by, like i be losing my ways

and i
don’t know if i got control over
my mind, my body, my soul.

cuz i
miss the days when it used to be like
nothing mattered, no one cared

but i
realize that things have changed

so i
move on... i slowly move on.

all the stress and these tests,
they suffocate my chest.
i close my eyes and try to rest.
no success.

in a flood of emotions;
like i been taking some potions.
feel like i’m drowning in some massive ocean.

nowhere for me to run or hide.
it’s all right there, in black and white.

i’m a mess.
i confess.
i will not succeed unless

Allah
bestows His Mercy on me.

so i
prostrate and humbly
ask my Lord to guide me

to the
Straight Path, and forgive my

sins.

- Alister.

Shahr ar-Ramdhaan

2009-09-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

Bismillah walhamdulillah wa salaatu wa salam 'ala rasoolillah.

From Abu Hurayrah, radiyallaahu ‘anhu, that the Prophet (salallahu ‘alaiyhi wasallam) climbed upon the mimbar (pulpit) and said: “Aameen [O Allah grant it], aameen, aameen.” So it was said, O Messenger of Allah, you climbed upon the mimbar and said, aameen, aameen, aameen?” So he said: “Indeed Jibraa’eel, ‘alaiyhi salaam, came to me and said, ‘Whoever reaches the month of Ramadaan and does not have [his sins] forgiven and so enters the Fire, then may Allah distance him, say ‘aameen” So I said: “Aameen”…” The hadeeth. (It is reported by Ibn Khuzaimah (3/192), Ahmad (2/246, 254) and al-Baihaqee (4/204). It is an authentic hadeeth and its main part is reported in Saheeh Muslim (4/1978).

There are approximately three days left in this blessed month, more than enough time for us to ask Allah subhana wa ta'aala to forgive our sins because we might not make it until the next Ramadhaan. Take a moment to reflect on how you were this month; did you increase the amount of sunnah salaat that you prayed, read more quraan, have better akhlaaq? The month of Ramadhaan is a ni'ma from Allah, take full advantage!

***

A bank opens its vault for 30 days. Open access for everyone; take what you wish. The vaults are wide open and everyone has the opportunity to get loaded, if they wish. You will find anything you wish: cash, gold, silver, jewels, rubies, all the world's riches and even things you've never imagined.

Three types of people emerge in this wildly amazing scenario:

1) They enter the bank, fully amazed and awe struck by the situation. Yet they walk out with nothing; you feel as if you don't need it or desire it.

2) They enter tha bank and wisely so they attempt to fill their pockets with some gold, silver, cash, etc. and they walk out, satisifed with what they got.

3) They enter the bank with bags upon bags, filling each one with the goods. Eventhough they have bags full of riches, they arn't satisfied. You find yourself greedy for more.

This is an example of the Muslims and their relationship with the beautiful and blessed month of Ramadan.

1) Some enter it with full amazement and satisfaction. However, they reap nothing from it. They have taken the month to be nothing more than a cultural part of their lives.

2) Some enter this month and put in effort, however they don't full advantage of it. They are satisfied with the little they do in this month.

3) Others enter this month fully prepared to reap massive reward. They put in alot of effort to seek the pleasure of Allah and these people will be pleased in the Hereafter

Which group do you associate yourself with? Still 3 days left...the choice is yours
- Ali-ster.

I'm baaack!

2009-09-14T14:43:00.000-07:00

Bismillah.

I really think I forgot how to blog because I can't think of what to start this post with. This may take a while to get back into the habit, but seriously I missed blogging a looot. Anyone out there who doesn't have a blog...get one. Anywho, I have a lot of clutter on my mind so there should be some interesting posts with even more interesting titles to come.

But it's Ramadhaan right now, so lets finish that first.

- Ali-ster.

Michaell Jackson

2009-06-26T08:05:00.000-07:00

Inna lilahi wa inna ilayhi raji'oon.

The death of a celebrity usually has a large impact on their fans, but for someone like MJ...it is like maaaajor. I swear last night every news channel was broadcasting his death and reminiscing about his life.

Alhamdulillah, he converted to Islam; and for those of you who say he isn't really a Muslim, who gives you the right to judge? You don't know what's in his heart, his iman could be higher than yours. In sha Allah, he died in a state of al-Islam and if not then that is between him and his Lord.

May Allah forgive him from all of the sins he commited after accepting Islam. May Allah place for him noor in his grave. May he be granted the highest level of Jannah, living in eternal bliss.

I never used to like him really, but he has a right over me as a muslim and we should all be making du'aa not only for him but the whole Ummah.

Allahumaghfir al-Muslimeena wa al-Muslimaat, wa al-Mu'mineena wa al-Mu'minaat, al-ahya'ee minhum wa al-amwaat.

Seriously guys, learn something from this. Malak al-Mawt does not distinguish between us, no matter how famous we are. He could even be standing behind you right now. So make your last moments worthwhile; because that is how you will be ressurected in front of Allah.

Verily, every soul shall taste death; even Mikaael Jackson.

- Ali-ster.

I've lost all hope.

2009-06-25T10:12:00.000-07:00

Bismillah.

This world is coming to an end. Never did I think I would see the day when munaqabaat would be used for internet dating sites.

Now if you will excuse me...I'm gonna go prepare for Yawm al-Qiyaama.

- Ali-ster.

No Salam?

2009-06-25T10:11:00.000-07:00

Bismillah.

I'm sure you all have realized by now that I'm slighty more random than most people; specifically what scenarios my imagination creates.

For example, the other day as I was saying salam to one of my friends I started thinking about what life would be like if saying salam was never introduced into the religion. Like seriously, for me, its a conversation starter. So if the salam wasn't invented...I would never be able to initiate a conversation. I think my voice would disintegrate as well.

It has been narrated by Saalim that the Prophet (SAW) said, "He who says Assalaamu Alaikum (Peace be upon you) ten rewards are written down for him, and he who says Assalaamu Alaikum wa rahmatullah (Peace be upon you and Allah’s mercy) for him twenty rewards are written down and he who says Assalaamu Alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh (Peace be upon you and Allah’s mercy and blessing) thirty rewards are written down (for him)."

Oh, how awkward life would be without it.

-Ali-ster.

The Whisperers

2009-06-22T15:48:00.000-07:00

Bismillah.

Truthfully, I consider myself to be a very patient person no matter how annoyed I am but one thing that reaaally gets me is those annoying whisperers. You may not know what I'm talking about, but you have definitely come in contact with this breed of annoyance. I'm talking about those girls who sit in the back of the halaqa and gossip about the latest news while at the same time the sheikh is giving a serious lecture. Pathetic much?

Seriously, you guys are so disrespectful not only to the people trying to listen, but to yourselves as well. Maybe on the Day of Judgement, Allah will bring you to account for a certain sin that you committed. While you try to preserve your innocence, claiming that you weren't aware of that...lo and behold, that's exactly what the sheikh was speaking about while you were chatting away.

You decide. Is it really worth talking about what your going to wear to the next event if it means missing out on beneficial knowledge. I really hope your answer is no, and if it isn't...please just go talk somewhere else.

I feel a lot better now.

- Ali-ster.

Pearl of the Day

2009-06-19T08:11:00.000-07:00

Bismillah.

Al Quratabi rahimahumAllah said:

It was said to Ibn Adam
Why is it that we supplicate and recieve no response?
He said, because you know Allah but you do not obey him.
And you know his messenger but you do not follow his sunnah
And you know the Quran but you do not act in accordance with it
And you eat from the blessings of ALlah but you do not give thanks for them
And you know paradise but you do not seek it
And you know hell but you do not flee from it
And you know shaytaan but you do not fight him,
Rather you agree with him.
And you know death but you do not prepare for it
And you bury the dead but do not learn lessons from it
And you ignore your own faults,
And are preoccupied with other people's faults

That is why we supplicate and receive no response.

- Ali-ster.

Its OFFICIAL

2009-06-17T15:01:00.000-07:00

Bismillah.

Yes, I know. Finally, after how many months, summer break is here. You know what that means! Yes, you're right, more posts to come. And that tajweed marathon I promised, look! It's just around the corner.

I think I deserve a pat on the back.

- Ali-ster.

Super Awesome Quotes.

2009-06-16T12:01:00.000-07:00

Bismillah.

This is my personal collection of quotes. They range from inspiring to just plain funny. Enjoy!

When any one of you sees anything that is disapproved (of by Allah), let him change it with his hand. If he is not able to do so, then let him change it with his tongue. And if he is not able to do so, then let him change it with his heart, though that is the weakest (kind of) faith. — Prophet salAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam

Your souls are precious, and can only be equal to the price of Paradise. Therefore, sell them only at that price. — Ali ibn AbiTalib

Do not give advice only on the condition that it is followed. Otherwise, you are a tyrant, not an advisor; you are demanding obedience, you are are not allowing religious feeling and brotherly spirit their due. Neither reason nor friendship gives you the right to insist. It is rather the right that a ruler has over his subjects or a master over his slaves. — Ibn Hazm

Yearning for Allah and His meeting is like the gentle breeze blowing upon the heart, extinguishing the blaze of the dunya. Whosoever causes his heart to settle with his Lord shall be in a state, calm and tranquil, and whosoever sends it amongst the people shall be excessively perturbed. — Ibn al-Qayyim

I never once argued with anyone hoping to win the debate; rather, I always wished that the truth would come from his side. — Imam ash-Shafi’ee

and my personal favourite...

If you can’t say “bismillah” (out loud or inside) before an action, you most likely shouldn’t be doing it anyway. — AbdulBary Yahya

- Ali-ster.

Never Again; I Promise

2009-06-15T16:10:00.001-07:00

Bismillah.

Isn’t it weird when you get tested with the same thing twice? Like you know that last time it happened you failed but then repented for it, and now you’re facing the same situation again. At first you think to yourself, no way I am not falling for this a second time…but you find it to be so difficult. How embarrassing must it be for you to go back to a sin after you repented to Allah? Doesn’t that mean you broke a promise; and not just any promise, a promise to Allah. Doesn’t that make you a hypocrite, a liar, a disbeliever? Woah, a disbeliever? But that can’t be possible. Sadly, yes it can.

If you truly believed in Allah, believed that he is All Aware of what you do, then you would not return back to that sin from fear of being punished. So…wait a minute, if there’s so much negative that comes from this that must mean that this is a major sin. And doesn’t abstaining from major sins also generate massive rewards as well? So this difficult fitna that you have just been presented with again, after having seen the repercussions of it and dealt with a heavy conscience, suddenly becomes light as a feather.

You can hear shaytaan whispering in your ear, edging you on to the finish line where you will be presented with your prize…a one-way ticket to Jahannam. So stop, take a deep breath, and make some du’aa. Alhamdulillah that Allah has opened your eyes to the traps of shaytaan; alhamdulillah that He has guided you along the Straight Path; and alhamdulillah that you have just passed a test that generates a big fat reward.

Now is a time for rejoicing, because if you are able to stop yourself from committing the same sin twice, chances are your repentance has been accepted. Alhamdulillah.

Allahuma anta rabbi la ilaha ila ant, khalaqtani wa ana ‘abduk wa ana ‘ala ‘ahdika wa wa’dika mastada’at. A’udhubika min shari ma sana’t. Aboo laka bi ni’matika ‘alay wa aboo bi dhambi faghfirli fa innahu la yaghfiru dhunuba ila ant.

- Ali-ster.

The Codes

2009-06-15T04:03:00.000-07:00

Bismillah.

On our way to an al-Maghrib class, my friend and I were on the subway. This specific friend had a terrible habit of accidentally showing her neck and I would always have to tell her, but this day was different. This day, I wanted to make it motivational, a fun thing we could do when someones hijab was malfunctioing. "Code 7!" I yelled to her, and to my surprise, it actually got her attention. "What does that mean?" she asked. "It means your neck is showing", I replied. "Oh, nice. So why the number 7?". I was stumped. Truthfully, there is no significance to that number. "Um...doesn't Jahannam have 7 levels?" I improvised. "Yeah...so?" she responded. "Well, my dear, if your neck keeps showing like that, where do you think it'll end up". There you have it folks. The story behind the invention of all the codes. Of course, it only started with code 7, and some editing happened along the way, but we have on our hands now is a full blown legal system and for this, I am proud.

THE CODES:
I) Code 7 just means your neck is showing but if you want to be really cool like us; 7.1 means the front part of the neck, 7.2 is either the left or right side, and 7.3 is the back of the neck.

II) Code 1 is straightforward. It means lower your gaze. This scared a lot of people at school and generates a lot of interest from innocent victims of my yelling.

III) Code 3 has to do with the overall hijab; meaning not just your neck. It could go from "Your ear is showing" all the way to "I can see your ankles".

Genious I know, but right now, all I see is the ajr. Oh yeah.

- Ali-ster.

al- Wa'ad as-Sayf

2009-06-13T10:13:00.000-07:00

Bismillah.

Today is a funky day. I haven't been to my tafseer class in two weeks, and I'm afraid she'll give us like a big test that I'll totally bomb. Why are you on your blog then Alister, you may be wondering. Well, to tell you the truth, this is what I do when I want to forget about my stress. So here's whats in my head right now:

i) Random question. Have you ever wondered what Malak al-Mawt looks like? I don't mean just like his appearance I mean like how he looks when he comes to take our souls. Will he just randomly appear before our eyes? Or will it be gradual, like blurry at first but then becomes more clear afterwards. If that doesn't make you excited for death, I don't know what does.

ii) According to Wikipedia, there are approximately 14 million camels in the world; half of them are located in Somalia. No wonder I love camels so much.

iii) Exactly three weeks left until Journey of Faith and my vacation. The first thing I plan to do when I get off the plane is eat McDonalds. Just to know what it tastes like (halal, of course). I am way excited. I think I should invent a new word for the emotion I'm feeling. I'll make a post about that soon times.

iv) Speaking of halal food, yesterday my friend was learning the tafseer of surah A'raaf and guess what...eating non-halal food is SHIRK. Pretty scary.

v) Surah al-Baqarah is long. And I mean looong. I can't even see al-Imran.

That's all for now. I feel really nervous for some reason, and my dear sweet Tafseer teacher, if you are reading this, please postpone the test. Please.

ps. The title was made especially for you Marwa.

- Ali-ster.

Forgive me...

2009-06-12T12:18:00.000-07:00

Alhamdulillahi wahda, wa salaatu wa salam 'ala man la nabiya ba'da.

[Hadith]
Rasul Allah, sal Allah alayhi wa sallam, said, "There was once
a merchant who would lend money to people.  Whenever the person
he lent money to was in difficult circumstances, he would say to
his employees, 'Forgive him so that Allah may forgive us.' So,
Allah forgave him."
- Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 3, Hadith 292

[Lessons from this Hadith] 
When you and I forgive people, who are we actually setting
free? OURSELVES! 
 
Because of the outstanding way this man dealt with
people, Allah forgave him, and blessed him with profit in this
life and the next.

Please, anyone who is reading this; if I have ever done anything to

you, please forgive me. Even if you can't remember anything I did,

forgive me anyway. Just in case.

For those of you who have wronged me in the past, what's done is

done and I'm not the kind of person who holds grudges so I forgive

you only for thesake of Allah, and in sha Allah you will not be held

accountable for that.

Allahumaghfirli dhambi kulahu, wa diqahu wa jilahu,

wa awalahu wa akhirahu,wa 'ala niyyatahu wa sirrahu.

- Ali-ster.

Why Most Muslim Women HATE Summer.

2009-06-11T04:50:00.000-07:00

Bismillahi ar-Rahman ar-Raheem,

Summer is undeniably the most popular season for most people mainly because the weather is welcoming, school is done and, most importantly, ice cream. Don't get me wrong, I love ice cream as much as the next person and sure summer is pretty cool (my favourite season is actually winter) but every year, when I have to battle it out with the glaring sun, he always comes out on top and I am left with....dun dun dun...the hijab tan line.

Every year. Every single year (as far as I can remember) I graduate from summer holidays with a big shiny ring around the parts of my face that are covered by the hijab. Just to make things straight, I'm not afriad of my skin tanning and turning a shade darker, but what I fear is that when an event comes that requires me to take off my shield, I become a specimen to be looked at in awe. Honestly, the hijab tan line is soo annoying and every spring I tell myself that I won't get it this year. But lo and behold, it just keeps coming and coming. Like the energizer bunny.

For the record, yes I have already acquired a minimal hijab tan line this year. But only because I was forced to walk to the store in the scorching heat after jumu'ah last week. And, interestingly enough, I think that out of the 3 people that were with me... I was the only one attacked by the evil sun.

Fortunately, I received some tips from my friends. They taught me how to wear my hijab Emirati style which also doubles literally as a sun-screen. By pulling the long end of my shayla over my face, I can protect myself from the sun's rays AND become a creeper in a matter of seconds; two-for-one. Looking like a creep is a price I'm willing to pay to save myself from the agony of the hijab tan line.

One thing I can say though is that I sympathize greatly with those sisters who wear the niqaab. Seriously, you guys become like raccoons in the summer.

- Ali-ster.

MIA Tajweed.

2009-06-02T16:36:00.000-07:00

Bismillah.

My tajweed class updates have been missing in action, and I am terribly sorry for that, but guess what. I got something big in store for you guys. Yes, you guessed it. Since you have all been either so so patient or so so did not care, I will be posting a back-to-back-to-back-to-back tajweed lesson. Until I've posted all of my notes. And thats not the best part. I'll even include a link to a website you can learn tajweed from. No thanks necessary, but some du'aas my way would be much appreciated. There's about two weeks left of school, and so the tajweed marathon date is to be announced.

Who's stoked? I know I am.

- Ali-ster.

Soft Tings

2009-05-28T16:33:00.000-07:00

Bismillah.

So the other day as I was sitting in my math class, I happened to be staring at my ring and thinking about how beautiful it was. Like honestly, it contrasted perfectly with me. This ring was like the best accessory I ever owned. Seconds later, I hear a tinkling noise on my desk, and that is when I learned the true power of my sinister eye.

Yes, you heard it here first folks, Ali-ster just hit herself with the evil eye. My beautiful ring (temporarily fixed) was slowly deteriorated into nothingness and I just sat there, lifeless, as my teacher walked in and began the lesson. Obviously I heard nothing and learned nothing. My mind was focused on one thing only, HOW COULD I GIVE MYSELF EVIL EYE?

Learn from my mistakes people. Never underestimate the power of a 'ma sha Allah'. And please, for your sake, make it sincere.

On the bright side, I got to see a picture of Imam al-Albani. That was the highlight of the week.

- Ali-ster.

JOF Returns.

2009-05-26T13:30:00.000-07:00

Bismillah.

So I'm selling tickets for the 2nd Annual Journey of Faith Conference. If anyone needs tickets, get at me. They have been sitting in my backpack all week and I haven't managed to sell even one. Please. I am desperate. Discounts can be negotiated. Some restrictions apply.

Email me at amina1990@gmail.com. Cash only.

- Ali-ster

Wa Bashir il-Mu'mineen.

2009-05-21T04:58:00.000-07:00

Alhamdulillahi wahda wa salaatu wa salaam 'ala man la nabiya ba'da,

How many times have you come across an ayah that was proclaiming glad tidings to a specific group of people, wether it be as-Sabireen, al-Mu'mineen, al-Mutaqeen and countless others. SubhanAllah, that is like the ultimate hint that we are being given. If we want the glad tidings of Jannah and maghfira, we have to establish the characteristics that would categorze us into those groups.

When Allah subhana wa ta'ala says, 'And give glad tidings to the believers' (Baqarah: 223) does He mean that all those who believe in him will be given glad tidings? No, it is only those who also act upon their faith either by praying qiyaam al-layl, fasting more often, or any other act of 'ibadah that brings them closer to Allah.

I actually knew this one girl back in my first couple years of highschool and may Allah have mercy on her because the amount of ignorance that she had frightened me. Those days I was not as practicing in my religion, but even I knew that I would be punished for the sins I committed and I was terrified of what would happen to me in the akhira. SubhanAllah, during our conversation she said, "I already know I'm going to hell, but God loves me so I'll only stay in there for a while. Not forever."

وَقَالُواْ لَن تَمَسَّنَا النَّارُ إِلاَّ أَيَّاماً مَّعْدُودَةً قُلْ أَتَّخَذْتُمْ عِندَ اللّهِ عَهْدًا فَلَن يُخْلِفَ اللّهُ عَهْدَهُ أَمْ تَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللّهِ مَا لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ

And they (the Jews) say: Fire shall not touch us but for a few days. Say: Have you received a promise from Allah, then Allah will not fail to perform His promise, or do you speak against Allah what you do not know? (Baqarah: 80).

Did you ever wonder why the Qur'an mentions bani Israel (the Jews) so often? I always used to think to myself, why are their faults mentioned constantly when they are no longer alive to take heed and those who succeeded them don't even believe in this book. Alhamdulillah, my question was answered in a tafseer class when the ustadha mentioned that the only reason why their stories are mentioned...is because of us, Ummat Muhammad (SAW). During their time, bani Israel was the most favoured nation. So are we. Allahu akbar, our traits are so similar to theirs that it is almost as if we are mirror images of them. Just like the girl I mentioned before, bani Israel believed that Allah would ease their punishment for no reason other than love. Why is it that Allah should love us when we do not make ourselves WORTHY of that love? Even those companions of the Prophet (SAW) who were told that Allah loved them never spoke like this. If you want Allah to love you, then gain His love through the guidance of al-Quran.

...and just as a hint;

إِنَّ اللّهَ يُحِبُّ التَّوَّابِينَ وَيُحِبُّ الْمُتَطَهِّرِينَ

Verily, Allah loves those who repent often to Him and those who purify themselves (Baqarah: 222)

- Ali-ster.

My Girls.

2009-05-13T16:54:00.000-07:00

Bismillahi ar-Rahman ar-Raheem,

This post is dedicated to my lovely sisters in Islam, you guys have changed my life in a way that I am unable to show my gratitude. Alhamdulillah, thumma alhamdulillah, you girls are one of the greatest blessings Allah has given to me. I don't know what it is that makes me worthy of such a gift, but I vow to never lose sight of why I was aqquainted with you all in first place. You guys are my company on the road to Jannah, and in sha Allah, that will be our final abode.

***********

When I'm at school, you guys are like my "halal-meter". If my neck is showing, don't matter because you guys will tell me; if my abaya is too tight, don't matter because you guys will tell me; when a classmate is talking to me, you remind me to lower my gaze (and vice versa). You guys even remind me not to drink/eat standing up because it's makrooh. No matter how much we embarass eachother yelling UNDHUR ILAL ARDH (look at the ground) or LG (short form of lower your gaze) from across the room, we still stick together through thick and thin. Walahi I feel like you guys are the greatest blessing given to me from Allah, and I thank him for allowing us to meet and in sha Allah our friendship will only become stronger. This year was my absolute best year of school and I'm really going to miss all of you when we graduate, but I'll do my best to keep in touch so you guys better do the same.

I promise you guys that on the Day of Judgement, in sha Allah I will be a witness for you guys that you helped me in the akhira to raise my iman and if Allah wills, it will be accepted.

Throughout my life I've had many many friends that I always assumed were 'the best', but walahi thumma walahi, no one can compare to you guys. The benefits I have gotten from your influence surpass all others, and I pray to Allah that He will bestow upon me in my lifetime more friends like you guys.

This is one time I feel like I can truly say, from the heart...
I love you guys for the sake of Allah.

- Ali-ster.

[05.15.09] ... one more day.

2009-05-13T16:29:00.000-07:00

One more day...just one long, long, very long day left until the dawn of a new era. Just kidding. But seriously, I have never been more stoked for an Al-Maghrib class before, except maybe Rays of Faith when I found it it was going to be held at the Westin Harbour Castle. But this class tops it, smashes it, and eats it for dinner. Not only will we be learning about everyone's favourite topic (marriage), but also this is the first time in Al-Maghrib history that there will be multiple instructors. This has a possibility of being extremely terrible or exhilartingly amazing and since I'm an optimistic person, lets go with the latter. Waleed Basyouni is my absolute favourite Al-Maghrib instructor (followed closely by Riad Ourzazzi), and since I missed the last class he taught in the fall, this will hopefully make up for it. I'm still kinda bummed that Yaser Birjas isn't the one teaching Fiqh of Love, since he is the expert, but I have the utmost faith in Waleed Basyouni so in sha Allah khair. I've already decided to skip all my afternoon classes to cope with the excitement. This class better be good.

I really don't think I'll be able to sleep on Thursday night.

- Ali-ster.

Do You Know...?

2009-05-09T06:58:00.000-07:00

Bismillah.

Do you know what will be the first thing asked from this ummah?

The five prayers.

Do you know what the first prayer offered by Muhammad (SAW) was?

Dhuhr.

Do you know who will be first to enter Jannah?

Muhammad (SAW).

Do you know which ummah is first to enter Jannah?

The ummah of Muhammad (SAW).

Do you know which ayah was first revealed in the Qur'an?

It was surah 'Alaq ayah 1.

Do you know what was the last ayah revealed in the Qur'an?

It was surah Baqarah ayah 281.

Do you know what was the first ayah revealed in the Torah?

It was 'Bismillahi rahmani raheem".

now you know.
---

The Prophet (SAW) said, "(There are) two words which are dear to the Beneficent (Allah) and very light (easy) for the tongue (to say), but very heavy in weight in the balance. They are subhanAllahi wa bihamdihi and subhanAllahi al-Adheem.

Ibn al-Qayim rahimahumAllah said, "Three things make the body sick; too much talking, too much sleeping, and too much eating."

- Ali-ster.

Process of Elimination

2009-05-07T14:58:00.000-07:00

Bismillahi ar-Rahman ar-Raheem,

Just as a heads-up, the title of this post is completely random and has nothing to do with what I wanted to blog about today. It just seemed like a really cool title, so I chose it. Amazing, isn't it?

6 times each century, something amazing happens. And today...was one of those six. The date is 05/07/09. Notice that all 3 numbers are odd, AND they're consecutive. Beautiful.

In other news, alhamdulillah I recently recovered from my self-diagnosed A/H1N1 (swine flu) sickness. I really hope it doesn't get to phase 6, I refuse to go to school during the middle of summer. Like honestly, I go to sleep fearing that the pandemic will be declared in the morning. My friends and I also hypothesized that the Dajjal will appear shortly after pandemic has been declared, so for those of you who haven't memorized the first 10 ayat of surah al-Kahf....what are you waiting for?

Anywho, I sense that exciting things will be happening soon so keep an eye out for some inspiring posts from moi, in sha Allah.

And to conclude, I leave with this to reflect upon...

مِنْهَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ وَفِيهَا نُعِيدُكُمْ وَمِنْهَا نُخْرِجُكُمْ تَارَةً أُخْرَى

From the (earth) did We create you, and into it shall We return you, and from it shall We bring you out once again. (Ta-Ha:55).

Am I the only one feeling chills?

SubhanAllah, it really scares me to think that this same land that I get my food from, that I travel on, that I ultimately live off of will eventually become my location for a long period of time. I can't even bear sleeping in my room with the door closed, how will it be when I am left alone 6 feet under the earth?

Ya Allah, place for us in our graves noor and make it spacious for us.
Ya Allah, make us among those who answer swiftly and confidently to Munkar and Nakeer. Ya Allah, grant for us in our graves the most beautiful view of Jannat al-Firdaus al-A'la and protect us from the torments of the grave.
Verily, You Hear the supplications of your slaves and are al-Samee' al-'Aleem.

Ameen ya Rabb al-'Alamin.

- Ali-ster.

Tajweed 3

2009-04-25T05:45:00.001-07:00

Bismillah.

Sorry I took a while to post this one. I've been busy with midterm assingments at school, but now that's done alhamdulillah. So last week we had an exam about eeeverything we learned in Tajweed class so far, so I thought I'd post it so I could help my memory but more importantly to share the 'ilm.

First of all, let's start with the 5 Makhaarij.
(makhaarij = place of exit)
1) Shafataan - Lips *
2) Jowf - Empty space in mouth
3) Khayshoom - Nose
4) Halq - Throat *
5) Lisaan - Tongue *
Now the ones with stars mean that there are subcategories in that region.

Shafataan:
i) Uses both lips. (eg. meem, noon, ba)
ii) Uses bottom lip and two front teeth (top). (eg. fa)

Halq:
i) Adna al-Halq - top of throat.(eg. kha and ha)
ii) Wasat al-Halq - middle of throat. (eg. 'ayn, and ghayn)
iii) Aqsa al-Halg - bottom of throat. (eg. ha and hamza)

Lisaan:
This one was the toughest to learn (took forever) but it was the most fun to memorize. It has a looooot of subcategories (like 10), and I'm about to be late for Qur'aan class, so I'll post it later in sha Allah.

i LOVE tajweed.

- Ali-ster.

Muqalib al-Quloob.

2009-04-16T16:05:00.001-07:00

Innalhamdulillahi rabb al-'Alameen wa salatu wa salam 'ala rasoolihi al-Kareem.

Pause for a second and think, what was the best gift that was ever given to you? Some of you might say your iPod, or your new car or some other material possesion. Honestly, as Muslims most of us overlook the greatest ni'ma that has been granted to us, the gift of al-Islam. Especially for those of us who were born and raised with Islam, it was given to you on a silver platter. But did you ever think that maybe one day this gift will be taken away from you. That's all it is. A gift, not a right.

Why do we deny that Allah is Muqalib al-Quloob? Why do we deny that just because we wear hijaab or just because our name is Ahmad or Khadija we will always be Muslim? All of the ma'asiya that we continue to take part in has a negative effect whether we acknowledge it or not. I have personally felt the pain of having a loved one change their akhlaaq from that of true Muslim to something completely opposite. SubhanAllah, it was like a wake up call for me and made me realize just how quickly Allah subhana wa ta'ala can change the heart of His slaves.

In surah al-Baqarah, Allah says: "Wadhkuruhu kama hadaakum wa in kuntum min qablilhi la min adh-Dhaleen". And remember Allah because He guided you, Verily before you were among the Dhaleen (those who were astray). And it's true, where would we be without the guidance of Allah? Most likely, we'd be worshipping some idol or another diety not worthy of worship. Allahu akbar min kuli shay', how big of a blessing is this?

Mere words can never describe my gratitude for being a Muslim, and it brings tears to my eyes to think that I was chosen to be a member of this beautiful deen. I pray to Allah that I represent Islam in the best light possible, verily ALL praise is due to Allah, the Most High, the Most Just. My heart bursts with the love I have for Him and all that He has given me and I crave just to return to Him and be reunited.

Ya Allah, allow me to be one of those who have the honour of seeing You because there is no gift greater then gazing at Your Beauty. You are the light of my life, the light of the heavens and the earth. Ya Allah, You are Light upon Light.

Ya muqalib al-quloob, thaabit qalbi 'ala deenik.
Rabbana la tuzid quloobana ba'da idh hadaytana.
Ameen thumma ameen, ya Rabb al-'Alamin.

- Ali-ster.

God Bless America.

2009-04-15T18:38:00.000-07:00

Bismillah.

We hear this phrase all the time, God Bless America. The land of the free, home of the brave. Red, white and blue, blah blah blah all that junk. This stuff has been drenched into our minds, it serves as a wallpaper for our brains, fuel for our conversations but just stop for a second and tell me. Why? Why should God bless America? What have they done to deserve a blessing? Well, think no further because Ali-ster here has done some research and the results are shocking.

Red - The blood spilled in the countries where so-called peace missions are being done. Is it a sheer coincidence that those countries America deemed peace-lacking have a large amount of natural oil. For your own sake, cover up your tracks a little nicer. Break the pattern a little by attacking Iceland or something.

White - Rampant raging racism. That's what you'll find in most southern states of America. White supremacy is like the law there. Tell me how just last year, the prom at one of the high schools in Texas (or Oklahoma) was segregated. And I ain't talking like halal segregated like girls only then guys only. I mean there was a black prom...and a white prom. This is in 2008. What an accomplishment. If that doesn't deserve a blessing, I don't know what does.

Blue - I got nothing. But the above examples should have convinced you by now. And if not, just read it repetitively until it does convince you.

Well, there you have it folks. The true meaning behind the American flag. Now if anyone has a cool explanation for the stars and stripes, no research has been done in that area so get at me.

Seriously, if America deserves a blessing then the rest of the countries should deserve Heaven. Except Israel, they bomb fruit stands.

- Ali-ster.

Somali want a cracker?

2009-04-15T17:43:00.000-07:00

Bismillahi ar-Rahman ar-Raheem.

Doesn't it just amaze you how quickly America can manipulate people. I must say, they deserve a round of applause for their improvement. In a matter of about...I don't know, lets say a couple minutes, they were able to switch the enemy connotation from 'terrorist' to 'pirate'. Nonetheless, I do have some criticism. The whole "Muslims are our enemies" thing is getting old. Sorry guys, good try with the pirates but NEWSFLASH, Somalis are Muslim. Tsk tsk, slacking a bit aren't ya? Anywho, I love watching CNN now because all they talk about is Somalia. Makes me think about moving there sometime soon, but I better brush up on my pirate slang so I make sure I fit in.

Well, can't wait to see what America has in store next for us. Ahoy maties, I gotta go swab the deck.

Remember, pirates are the new terrorists.

- Ali-ster.

No Contact Syndrome.

2009-04-15T14:34:00.000-07:00

Bismillah.

I know we've all been through it. The iqama has been called and there you stand, petrified, looking for a close companion, heck, even an acquaintance . Because of your desperation, you'll do anything to avoid the "No Contact Syndrome", more commonly known as NCS. Too bad, the rows have been filled, you shouldn't have taken so long making wudu. As you drop your head in shame, you realize that row you are headed to is filled with stragglers which pretty guarantees an oncoming of NCS. Your debate as to whether you should skip the jama'a altogether and just pray alone is silenced as the imam voices the takbeer. Yes, you agree, Allah is greater. And He would never cause for my khusoo' to suffer because of some silly NCS supporter. So you excitedly jump into salah and wait. Wait. Still waiting.

Uh oh...looks like your salah had to succumb to the devastating attack of NCS. Next time, try making du'a instead of just talking to yourself.

- Ali-ster.

Tajweed 2

2009-04-13T08:02:00.000-07:00

Bismillah.

Saturday's tajweed class was AMAZING! Honestly, I think it was my favourite lesson thus far (lol, out of the 3). There was a lot of people absent, only 4 of us actually came to class and so we had more constructive criticism from the teacher since we weren't streched for time. I learned a lot that day, but most importantly...I learned I couldn't pronounce the letter ت properly. Seriously, no one in the class could. And many of you are probably laughing right now saying, who can't say 'ta'? But seriously, you too are probably mispronouncing it.

Anywho, we were learning about the characteristics of different letters and why they are classified in the groups they are in and I think I'm getting the hang of it. This morning during fajr, I struggled to recite al-Fatiha because I kept catching my mistakes. Inna ma'al 'usri yusra.

Reciting with tajweed is the most difficult thing for me, especially since I am a beginner. Inna Allaha ma'a as-Sabireen, so I just have to be patient and consistent and for those of you reading this please make du'aa for me to complete this class and in sha Allah I'll get an ijaza so I can share the khayr.

I love tajweed.

- Ali-ster

Happy Long Weekend!

2009-04-09T12:53:00.000-07:00

Bismillahi ar-Rahman ar-Raheem,

I am deeply apologetic to those who I have disappointed for not posting in a while. But seriously you can stop harassing me now, because ta-da..here's one. There's a four-day long weekend starting today, so lots of posts to come bi idhnillah.

Anyways, today in class I asked this girl what people do on Easter, like how they celebrate it. Tell me how she's like, "Wait...you don't celebrate Easter?" HELLO! DO YOU NOT SEE HOW I AM DRESSED? Clearly, no religion has people dressed like me other than Islam. Anywho, I let that slide and I just said no. Let me just tell you that this girl for some reason thought that it was physically impossible for someone not to celebrate easter. "Why not?", she insisted, "Jesus was ressurected on that day." And I told her that, we don't believe that Jesus ever died. Period. So, therefore no reason to acknowledge Easter since technically it never happened. So she turns around and says to the guy sitting next to her that there are too many religions in the world and there should only be one. And I absolutely agree with her. Of course, she was saying that we should all just convert to Christianity. Then I remembered an ayah where Allah subhana wa ta'ala says,

وَقَالَتِ الْيَهُودُ لَيْسَتِ النَّصَارَى عَلَىَ شَيْءٍ وَقَالَتِ النَّصَارَى لَيْسَتِ الْيَهُودُ عَلَى شَيْءٍ وَهُمْ يَتْلُونَ الْكِتَابَ كَذَلِكَ قَالَ الَّذِينَ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ مِثْلَ قَوْلِهِمْ فَاللّهُ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فِيمَا كَانُواْ فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ

And the Jews say the Christians follow nothing (true), and the Christians say the Jews follow nothing (true); yet both are readers of the Scripture. Even thus speak those who know not. Allah will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning that wherein they differ.

Subhan Allah, don't you just love it when you've actually 'experienced' an ayah. That simple conversation that just started with my interest on what people do on Easter ended with me having my iman raised higher. Allahu akbar min kuli shay'. So khalas, there's no need for me to argue with her, I'll just wait until Yawm al-Qiyamah for the truth to come. And who knows, in sha Allah maybe by then she herself will be Muslim.

- Ali-ster.

Sayyid al-Akhlaaq

2009-04-05T14:20:00.000-07:00

Beautiful nasheed about Prophet Muhammad salAllahu 'alayhi wa salam by Qari Mishary Alafasy.

Enjoy!
- Ali-ster.

Tajweed

2009-04-04T15:41:00.000-07:00

Bismillahi ar-Rahman ar-Raheem,

Yesterday was the first day of our new tajweed class and it was absolutely AMAZING. Not only did I realize how beautiful the proper recitation of the Qur'an is, I realized that it was abosulutelY impossible for me to say "A'udhu bilahi min ash-Shaytan ar-Rajeem" properly.

This is what I was supposed to be saying:

A'udhu beeelahi meeena shaytaaneeer rajeem

This is what I was actually saying:

A'udhu bilahi mina shaytaanir rajeem

Forget even reciting Qur'an, I couldn't even say that simple sentence with perfect tajweed. Trust me, it isn't easy but with practice in sha Allah I'll get better.

Can't wait for next week's lesson!

- Ali-ster

Motorcylcle Madness.

2009-04-03T16:24:00.000-07:00

Bismillah

The other day as we were driving to the masjid, we stopped a stoplight and I happened to see a man on a motorcycle beside my window. I always fantasized about getting a motorcycle, but knowing me I would never have the guts to actually get one. So as I'm just staring at how shiny his bike was, and how his suit and helmet matched it perfectly...the dude lifts up his hand and pets his motorcycle. What kind of wacko PETS their vehicle. So now I have this hypothesis that all motorcyclists have psychological disorders. It kinda makes sense since they don't have a roof over their head as they drive, I guess the wind has detrimental effects.

I think I'll stick to cars for now, I'd like to keep my sanity thank you very much.

- Ali-ster

While on the topic of salah...

2009-04-03T13:42:00.001-07:00

I wanted to share this poem I found online that related to salah and how we as Muslims should feel:

NOTE: I soo do not take credit for this, so please make du'aa for the person who did write it. (I'm guessing it's a sister, lol.)

My favorite lil spot is the little area on my prayer rug where i place my face and hands before Allah and i can say anything i want to Him
I can ask Him for anything
And even if it's just a whisper He can hear the screams inside
And even if it's just one tear He know there's an ocean deep inside
It is my time with Allah when no one can interfere
It is my time alone with my Creator and when the rest of the world disappears
It doesn't matter how many times i do this a day...
I still feel as if it's the last time i could do it that day
I want Him to know how much i love Him
How much i need Him
How much i want to please Him
Be with Him
And how much i want to be better for Him
All it takes is a few minutes on my lil prayer rug to feel close to Allah
All it takes is a quick reminder that one day I'll be in front of Allah
For me to humble myself before Him and ask Him for forgiveness
Ask for guidance and for His sweetness
For i can do all things with Him on my side
I can overcome all the heartbreak and pain that's inside
Just as long as Allah hears my cry
And carries me through this life
It is on that lil space where my face and hands land on my prayer rug that i feel most at ease
It is that lil space that fills me most with peace
Where i can just hand it all over to Allah and trust in Him to get me through
Where i can cry and cry and know Allah will take care of me when i don't know what to do
When i prostrate before Allah it's just me and Him
Just my heart talking sincerely to Him
No one else knows what i'm saying or what i'm feeling; just Him
It is my place to get away from this world even for just a few minutes and turn towards my Creator
My Sustainer
My Everything....My Rabb, and know that if i just whisper He can hear and see all that's inside
And everytime i ask and cry, He takes a lil peice of my heart and mends it back together inside.
It's that lil space that gives me all these things
My favorite spot is that lil space on my prayer rug where i place my hands and face
It is in that lil space...where it's just me and Allah...in my lil space.

Is it really too much?

2009-04-03T12:36:00.000-07:00

Alhamdulillahi wahda, wa salatu wa salam 'ala man la nabiya ba'da.

So at my high school, alhamdulillah they provide us with the facilities to pray Dhuhr and they allow us to leave classes for salah. As me and my friends were getting ready to leave class, another girl said she wanted to come with us. Of course, we didn't object and so we all went along together to go pray Dhuhr. But something she said to me on the way there stuck in my head throughout the rest of the day. "Do you pray all five everyday?" she asked. And without even thinking I was like, "Yeah of course." Then she was like, "Wow, that's so much. You're really dedicated."Her question really caught me off gaurd though, like I alhamdulillah I never even consider skipping my salah but after hearing her question...it lingers in my mind like a fly I can't shoo away. Subhan Allah, isn't it amazing how Allah tests His slaves in different ways? This friend of mine looks at salah as such a huge obstical and in sha Allah it will become easy for her, but since I grew up in house where salah was emphasized and I have a close circle of friends who are ma sha Allah strong in the deen, I never even HAVE a chance to skip Dhuhr or any other salah. And even the fact that she sees 5 prayers a day as so much was something I was surprised about as well. We were initially ordered to pray 50 times a day, but from the Mercy of Allah it was reduced only to 5 BUT WE STILL GET THE REWARD OF THE 50. If this isn't enough of a motivation, I don't know what is. Sometimes I just think to myself, if it wasn't changed and we still had the original 50...how many salaat would be missing from my life? Personally, I struggle keeping consistent with my nawafil and sunnah but 50? I can't even imagine how I would balance my life around that. Alhamdulillah for all that Allah has bestowed upon us. Like seriously, we should be BEGGING to have one-on-one time with Allah. How dare we just abandon our salah like that? The first thing we will be questioned with on Yawm al-Qiyama is our salah. May Allah make us among those who have the highest level of khusoo' and make our salah as a bright noor for our graves. Allahuma ameen!

- Ali-ster

All praise is due to Allah

2009-04-02T07:48:00.001-07:00

Bismillah, walhamdulillah, wa salatu wa salam 'ala rasoolillah.

Assalamu alaykum dear viewer and welcome to my blog,

I hope to use this blog as a way for me to please Allah subhana wa ta'ala and make myself among those who deserve His Mercy in sha Allah so I titled it 'Adh-Dhakireen Allahu katheeran wa dhakiraat' from Surah al-Ahzaab ayah 35.

إِنَّ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَالْمُسْلِمَاتِ وَالْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ وَالْقَانِتِينَ وَالْقَانِتَاتِ وَالصَّادِقِينَ وَالصَّادِقَاتِ وَالصَّابِرِينَ وَالصَّابِرَاتِ وَالْخَاشِعِينَ وَالْخَاشِعَاتِ وَالْمُتَصَدِّقِينَ وَالْمُتَصَدِّقَاتِ وَالصَّائِمِينَ وَالصَّائِمَاتِ وَالْحَافِظِينَ فُرُوجَهُمْ وَالْحَافِظَاتِ وَالذَّاكِرِينَ اللَّهَ كَثِيراً وَالذَّاكِرَاتِ أَعَدَّ اللَّهُ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةً وَأَجْرًا عَظِيمًا

Men who remember Allah often and women who remember Allah, He has prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward.

May Allah make us among them.
Ameen.

Oh, and if I have any random experiences throughout the day (which i most definitely do) then I shall post them here so my friends have a way of checking up on me.

- Ali-ster.