Speed Tag Sirah 2011

Click on the picture to enlarge it :)

Ever wondered how being in a battle feels like?

Come and experience one of the great battles during the time of Rasulullah s.a.w. through Speed Tagging! Don't miss this chance to learn the Sirah in a fun and experiential way :)

What is SpeedTag?
Speed-tag is a combat game popular among youths today. It not only involves physical activity, but also forces players to strategize conscientiously during the game hence developing sharp and alert minds. In this activity, we are incorporating Sirah whereby participants get to learn about one of the battles in Muslim History while having fun.

Objectives:
• Experience war and difficult situations in the times of the Prophet s.a.w.
• Inculcate healthy lifestyle and competitive spirit through role-playing games (Speed-tag) involving Sirah and its characters.

We also intend to relay the objectives of armed struggle in Islam and its rules and the strict conditions that prohibits it and calls for it, that we Muslims may not be aware of.

It'll be an awesome adrenaline rush for you, we can guarantee that.

How, you ask?

Aha, ever heard of NERF guns?

If you haven't, here's a little preview of how it might be like ;)

A highly exaggerated scenario, of course, but not impossible ;)

Be sure not to miss out on this!

You can either call up the numbers stated on the poster or drop us an FB message with your name, age and contact no.

For more info please visit our event page on FB:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=199256890112903

Limited to 40 participants only! 20 girls and 20 guys :)

Register NOW NOW NOW!

Allah KNOWS You're Hurting Inside...

Original Article: How to Achieve Tranquility of the Heart (Part 1)

Sometimes it feels like it’s just too much – these fluctuations in our iman, the repeated sinning, the feeling that “I just don’t deserve Allah’s mercy.” The tests always feel like punishments. There is a constant worry about the future: my marriage, my money, my career, my Ummah… And some difficulties just feel like they are too great to overcome. We know we’re not supposed to ask this, but the question at the back of our minds is, “Why me?”

We have all heard that we should never despair of Allah’s Mercy. And on the surface, we try not to, but Shaytaan (the Devil) has a trick. We tend to despair of ourselves and our incapacity to change things, especially the inner turmoil that we feel. And the effect of this is basically the same as despairing of Allah’s mercy. We do not always accept that Allah can take us out of the situation we are in and we don’t need to ‘deserve’ the trouble; Allah isn’t punishing us and we don’t need to be perfect.

This doesn’t mean, however, that we shouldn’t strive, or take ourselves to account when we do mess up. The key is to develop our relationship with Allah during that trouble. If we know Allah, no situation is too hopeless. No sadness is ever permanent. We perceive trials as they are meant to be perceived – as tests of our trust in Allah, forcing us to put our knowledge into practice and bringing us closer to Him. These trials could potentially be a punishment too, that is if we let it affect us negatively by completely turning away from Him because of our sadness. But our awareness of our own state and our understanding of Allah’s Mercy allows us to turn the punishment into something positive that is manifested through repentance to Allah, alongside increasing in hasanat (good deeds) in order to erase the bad deeds.

The first exercise is for us to consciously realize that Allah knows. Whatever grief we go through, whatever hardship we endure, we must understand that we are never alone. Even if we feel abandoned by the world and those closest to us, Allah is there. He reminds us in the Qur’an,

“Fear not. Indeed, I am with you [both]; I hear and I see.” [Surah Taha: Surah 20, Verse 46]

As long as we begin by recognizing that Allah is with us and He is close to us, there remains a solution to our inner worries. There are things we need to know in order to develop our relationship with Allah. Then there are things we need to do in order to maintain that closeness to Allah. And finally, there are things we need to aspire for to achieve the ideal relationship with our Lord. We pray that by the end of the series, we will all have developed a stronger relationship with Allah.

Note: some of us suffer from clinical depression or similar medical conditions, and this needs to be dealt with by a professional. Working on our relationship with Allah no doubt helps, but sometimes more than a spiritual fix may be needed.

True Knowledge

Original article: True Knowledge

Ten years ago, while in pharmacy school, I gave a quick presentation about the use of Over the Counter (OTC) smoking cessation products. It was an exercise in counseling patients on what is available in the market without a prescription to help them quit smoking. It was a very well put together presentation that garnered my classmates’ applause. But the best part about it, according to my classmates, was the fact that everyone could see the outline of the pack of cigarettes in my front pocket. I was a smoker you see, yet I stood up in front of everyone and preached about the best way to help one quit this harmful habit and lead a healthy life.

Allah says in Surat Al-Jum`ah:

The example of those who were entrusted with the Torah and then did not take it on is like that of a donkey who carries volumes [of books]. (Qur’an, 62:5)

In this verse, Allah (swt) talks about the Jews who did not utilize the knowledge given to them in the Torah nor did they apply it to their lives. He likens them to a donkey that carries on its back volumes of books; however, regardless of the knowledge these books contain, the donkey cannot make use of nor implement that knowledge in its life. Although this specific verse refers to the example of the Jews denying what was contained in their books about the coming of Prophet Mohammed ﷺ (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his message, we need to look at the greater message. The moral of this ayah is that mere possession of knowledge is not enough. We must implement knowledge in all aspects of our life or else it is, and we are, rendered useless. Simply put, when I gave that presentation, I was like a donkey. I had all the knowledge of the harms of smoking, how to best quit smoking and what help there is for me, yet I did not benefit from that knowledge. As one poet puts it:

كالعيس في البيداء يقتلها الظمأ و المـــــاء فوق ظهورها محمـول

Like camels in the desert dying of thirst/while it carries the water right on its back

The same can be said about knowing that prayer is the essential foundation of Islam but not praying, or having verses of the Qur’an memorized but not understanding what they mean. Please don’t get me wrong. The idea is not for every one of us to become a scholar of Islamic theology or jurisprudence or to become experts in every field of information; the idea is to understand and implement the knowledge that we do have in our lives. So let us ask ourselves, how many of us truly practice our knowledge? How many of us truly understand what it means to profess, five times a day, the Lordship of Allah? How many of us truly understand and implement the meanings of two verses that most of us have memorized?

“So whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it, And whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it.”
(Qur’an, 99:7-8)

How 'yakin' (certain) are you?

Original article taken from: Yaqeen (Certainty)

Abu Darda radiAllahu `anhu (may Allah be pleased with him) was one of the righteous companions of the Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him). Once, a man came running to him saying, “O Abu Darda, your house has burned down!” He said: “No, it cannot be burned!” The man insisted that a fire had engulfed the whole neighborhood and his house was of the ones that had burned down. Abu Darda (ra) responded, with full certainty, “Allah will never allow this to happen because of the words that I heard from the Prophet ﷺ. Whoever says these words in the beginning of a day, the Prophet ﷺ told us, will not be afflicted by a misfortune until the end of the day, and whoever says these words in the evening will not be afflicted until morning.” He told him the words that he had recited that day as he had learned from the Prophet ﷺ, and when they both went to inspect the neighborhood, it turned out that most of the other houses had burned down, except the house of Abu Darda (ra). [Ibn As-Sinny, Tabarani]

This is a remarkable story. It is not simply remarkable because his house did not burn down – for Allah subhanahu wa ta`la (swt) is capable of all things. It is remarkable because Abu Darda (ra) was so sure of the words of the Prophet ﷺ, that even someone telling him that he saw the whole neighborhood burn down did not shake his faith. It is similar to the faith of Abu Bakr (ra), who said “If he [the Prophet ﷺ] has said it, then it is true.”

Truly yaqeen (certainty) is the soul of faith.

This is the final article in the section on things to know, and thus we have to conclude with this topic – the topic of certainty. That is because simply knowing we have to think well of Allah, or have trust, won’t truly help us when we need it if we are not sure. Being sure (having yaqeen) means certainty in the Strength of Allah, in His Mercy, in His promise, and in everything that we talked about in the past seven articles. It is certainty that He can make us better, save us and help us. We need to ask ourselves – how firm is that certainty?

We discussed how shaytan makes us doubt – that is the best he can do. And that is precisely what we must fight, because the first description of those who have taqwa (God-consciousness) in the Qur’an is:

“Who believe in the unseen…” (Qur’an, 2:3)

Our faith should be as strong as if we can see. If you visited a certain place and saw it with your own eyes, chances are no matter what, no one can tell you it doesn’t exist, especially if you have souvenirs. The Qur’an and the sayings of the Prophet ﷺ should be as true to us as though we have visited a place – it should be that real. Many of us have experienced the bounty of Allah (swt) – these are our souvenirs. So when things go wrong in our life, we need to be able to go back to that place and hold onto those souvenirs as our anchors – and for that certainty, the reward is immeasurable.

Does that mean nothing bad will ever happen? Of course not. But you will able to see beyond the immediate. Your certainty in Allah (swt) means you know; when bad things befall you, you will reflect on why tests happen and try to learn from the experience. When things turn out well, you know to fall into prostration because that result could not have occurred except by the will and grace of Allah (swt).

There is a beautiful du`a’ (supplication) in this regard. The Prophet ﷺ used to supplicate:

“O Allah! Grant us such fear of You as will come between us and acts of disobedience to You; such obedience to You as will bring us to Your Garden; and such certainty that the calamities of this world will be made easy for us by You. “¹[Tirmidhi]

Calamities without doubt test our faith, and this is why the Prophet ﷺ taught us to pray for certainty – so that these calamities are made easier.

Be like the companions. Their faith never wavered because they were certain in Allah’s Words in the Qur’an, and they were certain in what the Prophet ﷺ taught them. They never stopped asking Allah, because they knew it is only Allah that responds to the du`a’ of the distressed.² They never stopped seeking forgiveness, even when they felt their sins were like mountains, because they knew that Allah’s Hands are open to accept the repentant sinner, over and over again.³ They knew to work hard even if they never saw the fruits of their labor, because they knew that every drop of sweat was recorded with Allah and would never ever go to waste.⁴ They didn’t let other people’s rudeness get to them, because if they were patient and said words of peace, they were of the people that Allah praised in the Qur’an.⁵ They fled from Allah, only to Him.

Be like the companions. Have faith.

You are UNIQUE

Be True and Be You

By Wael Abdelgawad

(Original Article: http://muslimmatters.org/2011/01/13/be-true-and-be-you/)

Listen to the quiet voice inside yourself. The persistent voice that tells you that there’s something more to life, that calls you to do something meaningful, to experience the world in a profound way. So many of us dismiss that voice and suppress it. We are told that our dreams are not realistic or practical. We are told that we should settle for what is reliable, and will pay the bills, and garner us the respect of our peers.

But if we do not listen to that quiet voice, then who will? There is no external advocate who can read the yearnings of your heart and speak up on your soul’s behalf. You must be the champion of your own soul.

On the authority of Abu Malik Al-Harith bin Asim Al-Ashari, the messenger of Allah said:

“Purity is half of faith. alhamdu-lillah [Praise be to Allah] fills the scales, and subhana-Allah [How far is Allah from every imperfection] and alhamdu-lillah [Praise be to Allah] fill that which is between heaven and earth. Prayer is light; charity is a proof; patience is illumination; and the Quran is an argument for or against you. Everyone starts his day and is a vendor of his soul, either freeing it or bringing about its ruin.”

(Related by Muslim).

You are the vendor of your soul: either freeing it or bringing about its ruin. You free it by worshiping Allah in love, gratitude and fear; keeping the praises of Allah on your tongue and in your heart; praying and fasting and living righteously (as opposed to self-righteously); by showing love and concern for other human beings; and by being true to yourself.

Allah created you with a unique nature. Do you think it’s only your fingerprints that are unique? Or your retinal scan, palm print, voice print and DNA? Do you believe that your uniqueness is encapsulated by measurable biometrical data? No, your uniqueness extends to your own wonderful thought patterns, your special heart, and your soul. You are you, not anyone else.

You are not an assembly-line robot, or a machine put here to consume, produce and expire. You are different from everyone else in the world because you are you. Respect that, and don’t try to force yourself into an uncomfortable or even impossible mold that someone else has dictated for you. Be true, be you, and free your soul.

I’m not talking about sinful desires. I am speaking of the quiet and inspired urgings of your heart. Maybe you dream of working in disaster relief, helping all those poor souls who suffered after the Indian Ocean tsunami, or from the earthquake in Haiti, or the floods in Pakistan. Maybe you have an inner artist and you’d like to pursue that passionately and see where it takes you. Maybe you love children and would like to teach; maybe you are not satisfied with current school curricula and you have an idea of starting your own school. Maybe you’ve always fantasized about being a karate black belt, or helping poor villages in Africa become self-sustaining, or campaigning for human rights.

Maybe you’re single and you have feelings for a certain person, or just an undercurrent of admiration and respect, but you fear rejection if you come forward with a marriage proposal; or maybe the person comes from a different cultural background and you worry that your family or your peers would not approve.

I could go on, but you get the point. Don’t fear your dreams: cherish them, nurture them, and do your best to live them. Let’s face it, life is short; it passes so quickly, much sooner than we expect, and when we get to the end of the road we will regret only that we suppressed our hearts, and shoved them down into silence, and failed to live up to our potential as believers and as unique individuals, with our own God-given gifts.

We will never regret pursuing our dreams, taking bold chances, and expressing our love in halal and pure ways. We will never regret attempting to fulfill our missions and destinies here on earth, whether or not we succeed or fail, whether we experienced great joy or intense pain. In the end, the difference between success and failure in any venture is in Allah’s hands anyway. All you can do is try, and trying is everything. In that sense, there is no failure, because a sincere whole-hearted attempt is enough of a milestone in itself.

Stand up for your inner voice. Listen to it.

Stand up for your dreams. Give them a chance.

No one else will do it for you.

How Ruben Abu Bakr came to Islam

Mix around with converts once in a while and you will often hear amazing stories of how they came to accept Islam. While some may have converted to Islam because of marriage, there are some who embark on challenging journeys, often involving heartbreaks, tears, separation, an endless torrent of questions, intense research and thinking, plunging into unknown territories until they finally accept Islam as the truth wholeheartedly and changed their entire lives because of it.

And then there come a handful of them with rather hilarious stories. Such as Brother Abu Bakr in the video above. Do spend some time to watch, it may change your life too ;)

Sisters: Be Strong!

Original article: Muslim women: A tip on attaining confidence

Indifference to others' acceptance or rejection is attained by patience and trust in Allah. - Shaykh Ahmad al Zarruq, excerpt from Pearls of Wisdom by Hafidh Iffath Hassan

I feel fortunate to have met some women in my life that remind me of Allah whenever I think of them.

One consistent factor amongst all these unrelated female acquaintances is their outstanding confidence and sense of purpose.

They seem to be completely at ease with themselves, the decisions they make and the occurrences in the world around them. The mentality they have is the epitome of healthy self-esteem.

When, where, and how does that happen?

It seems that the key to their success is their belief that only Allah matters. The opinion of others is not something that can harm them; they don't allow it to shake their core or ruin their day because they know, that ultimately, being patient and trusting wholly in Allah voids anything that anyone might say to them or think about them.

This is a powerful lesson because the knowledge of it serves as medicine for the societal ills like depression and low self-esteem, two sicknesses that plague American youth by the millions.

I pray that all of us can make Allah our 'best friend' so that it matters not whether our peers, colleagues, or society accepts or rejects us.

Wanna hook up?

Original article: Hook Up with the Quran, Allah Will Hook you up

Veiled from sight, a young woman walked down the streets of Cairo, reciting Qur’an to herself and thinking about her goals. She loved the Qur’an and was passionate about studying and teaching it. She wanted to move to Saudi Arabia, where she knew of Qur’anic scholars from whom she dreamt of learning. She was mesmerized by Makkah and Madinah; she’d find herself spending hours making du`a’ (supplication) to visit the House of her Lord in Ramadan, to make the journey of Hajj, to walk through the land of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (peace be upon him). Working on a Master’s degree and traveling for hours in traffic to come to her students’ homes and teach them Qur’an never caused her to complain. She was constantly working on reviewing her Qur’an; she had memorized it completely from years past and she continued to review it to ensure it never left her heart.

Suddenly, she was stopped by a random lady on the road. “Excuse me,” the lady inquired, peering into the eyes of the girl whose heart burned with the inscription of the Words of Allahsubhanahu wa ta`ala (swt), whose face was veiled by her niqab, whose hands were covered by gloves, and whose body was cloaked by a long, flowing outer garment. “Are you married or engaged?” the lady asked. Staring at the lady, the young woman replied in the negative: hesitant, yet curious at such a loaded question from a random passerby. Considering her outer dress, the strange lady certainly was not asking because she found the young woman to be ridiculously beautiful. “I have a brother,” the lady explained. “He’s Egyptian, but he lives in Saudi Arabia. He has memorized the entire Qur’an. He has qualifications to teach it. He’s looking to get married. Might you be interested?”

Incredulous, the young woman exchanged information with the random woman on the street. Soon, their families initiated contact and within weeks, the brother of the strange lady had come to visit the young woman and her family. With time, prayers, and lots of consultation, the young woman finally agreed. She would marry the young man with whom she would live in Saudi Arabia, the young man who helped her plan to make Hajj that very year, the young man who had already memorized the Qur’an and who had dedicated his heart to the Book of Allah (swt). This young man, now her husband, was introduced to her by a random lady on the road.

This is the story of how my Qur’an teacher was united with her better half. She had devoted her life to the Qur’an and to her studies. She focused on her objectives of being a servant of Allah (swt) and of His Book, and maintained that focus in every aspect of her life. I would never have imagined that she would get married to someone who was the missing piece to everything she was looking for and even more. I should have realized that my puny imagination is nothing in comparison to Allah’s Power and Decree. Allah (swt) hooked up my Qur’an teacher big time and it could easily be argued that it was because she hooked up with the Book of Allah (swt).

Hooking up with Allah (swt) means being hooked up in the best of ways in every realm of life. Marriage, graduate school, studying overseas, relationship with one’s parents, getting a job, passing the SATs with high scores… you dream of it, yearn for it… who’s going to really give it to you? Your Facebook friends? Or the Lord and Ruler of all the Worlds (swt)?

Allah, the Exalted, has told us in a sacred hadith, “…the most beloved thing with which My slave comes nearer to Me, is what I have enjoined upon them; and My slave keeps on coming closer to Me through performing nawafil (voluntary prayers or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory) until I love them, (so much so that) I become the hearing with which they hear, and the sight with which they see, and the hand with which they strike, and the leg with which they walk; and if they ask Me something, I will surely give them, and if they seek My Protection (refuge), I will surely protect them.”

Get this: Allah (swt) might not give you exactly what you want when you beg of Him in supplication, but because He loves you, He’ll always give you something better. The Prophet ﷺ has taught us, “Any Muslim who supplicates to Allah in a du`a’which contains no sin or breaking of kinship, Allah (swt) will give him one of three things: either his du`a’ will be immediately answered; or it will be saved for him in the hereafter; or it will turn away an equivalent amount of evil (from him).” The companions said, “So we will ask for more.” He replied, “Allahu Akthar”–Allah is even more. More than whatever they ask, more than whatever we all ask.

Maybe marriage isn’t actually great for you and maybe that specific job won’t actually be everything which you’ve dreamed. There are numerous uncertainties regarding the outcome of our affairs. However, without doubt, when we hook up with Allah, if we’re sincere and determined to work, we can be certain that He will always guide us to whatever will ultimately bring us eternal happiness.

So, how can we hook up with Allah? How can we be of those who do our best to do obligatory actions and then run to our Lord through extra acts of worship?

Let’s take my Qur’an teacher’s example – let’s hook up with the Qur’an! Let’s make the intention to become the people of the Qur’an! Let’s begin by believing with certainty that we want to make a connection with Allah’s Words; that we want the Qur’an to play a pivotal role in our lives. Once we’ve made that commitment, bi’ithnillah (with the permission of Allah), here’s a suggested plan of action:

1. If we’re in school, at work, have family or other obligations and are already squeezed for time, let’s make a commitment to begin by reading the Qur’an on a daily basis and in a language we understand because the point is to understand it and make that crazy strong connection with it.
2. Suggestion for those of us who just can not get off our laptops and always lament wasting time: make a sticky note to put somewhere on your laptop which reads something like, “Have you hooked up with Kitab Allah today?” or “[Your name here], don’t you want Allah (swt) to hook you up?” Hooking up with Allah (swt) is beyond any hooking up we can do over social media and will bring us ridiculous quantities of benefit in this life and the next insha’Allah!
3. If you are not yet able to read Arabic, keep up with reading the translation, and when you can, try to begin learning the language of the Qur’an. There are a ton of online programs for this now. However, never let language stop you from connecting with the Qur’an. Read the translation in any language with which you find easiest to connect, and with time, you will insha’Allah be pleasantly shocked at how much you’re finding your personal perspective to be one of the Qur’anic narrative.
4. If you already know how to read Arabic but don’t understand what you’re reading: begin by setting an amount of Qur’an that you’ll read every day in both the Arabic and translation. For example, if I know I’m intensely busy and updating my Facebook is also a significant part of my life, let me make a commitment to start with just five verses a day, both in English and in Arabic, and let me make sure I don’t sleep without doing my Qur’an for that day.
5. If you can make a commitment from now to memorize the Qur’an, start looking for a teacher who can help you withtajweed and once you’re ready, memorization. If you can’t find anyone in your area, then find a Qur’an buddy near you who can help you read and learn the basics until you find someone who can fully teach you. If you live in the middle of nowhere and there’s really no one near you at all, search online for programs which teach tajweed which you can do via Skype or other means from your own home. Readers, please comment with online programs you recommend! If you have no one but know how to read with passing tajweed, just start! Set a goal for yourself, write it down, and work on moving forward weekly. Thus, within a month, instead of having never opened the Qur’an, insha’Allah you’ll have perhaps even an entire new chapter memorized!
6. Finally, if sometimes you feel apathetic, find yourself slipping, or realize that your heart is feeling bored with trying to make a connection with the Qur’an, change your mindset. Stand up, say bismillah (in the name of Allah) and seek refuge with Allah (swt) from the accursed Devil. Jump up and call in a loud and exciting voice with an enormous grin on your face, “THE QUR’AN IS MY BEST FRIEND!!!” Maybe it’s not completely true yet, but insha’Allah with enough convincing, and moving your body in an excitable way, your total physical response to the Qur’an combined with your newfound daily relationship with the Book of Allah, will help your neurons make positive connections which they will soon need more than your lungs need air.

Let’s make the Qur’an our best friend! When we’re sad, lonely, depressed and frustrated, let’s say, “I needa vent with the Book of Allah,” and just recite it all out. We will find ourselves connecting with Allah’s Words, awed by the relevance of His Book to the exact tribulation we’re experiencing. When we’re elated, let’s say, “I can’t wait to tell all of this to my best friend” and run to the Qur’an! Not excited? Fake it till you convince yourself to make it, insha’Allah! Insha’Allah we will be shocked at the fact that even though we’ve read the same surah (chapter) a hundred times over, we don’t remember ever reading the very same dynamic words before. And when we’re too busy, let’s realize how eager we’d be if some public figure we thought was amazing just called us up on our cells. Wouldn’t we make time, wouldn’t our adrenaline suddenly rush when we see whose actually calling us?

So then, let’s rush with that same vigor to drop everything and make time for the most important One – the Rabb al `alameen, the Lord of the Worlds. Let’s develop a strong relationship with the Words which He has revealed to take us from the darknesses of this life to the one light and to help us be a means of benefit in society.

The Prophet ﷺ taught us, “The Companions of the Qur’an are the people of Allah, and His favored people” [Nisai]. Let us be of Allah’s favored people – those who work to recite the Qur’an by day and night, work to memorize, understand, and live by it! Let us consciously decide to strive to take it as our best friend!

Whatever we’re seeking, in this life or the next, let’s hook up with the Book of Allah and have certainty that because of the sincerity of our investment, Allah (swt) will hook us up in whatever ways are best.