The Spring of springs.

"From Makkah, To Madinah

From Al Aqsa, To Al Jannah

From Al Jannah, To Allah!!!"

... caught in a recitation by Manaqib.

Deaf Umrah Appeal

Ibn Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Messenger of Allah (sa) said:

“A Muslim is a brother of (another) Muslim, he neither wrongs him nor does hand him over to one who does him wrong. If anyone fulfils his brother’s needs, Allah will fulfil his needs; if one relieves a Muslim of his troubles, Allah will relieve his troubles on the Day of Resurrection…” [Bukhari and Muslim].

Our Deaf Muslim brothers and sisters need our assistance in helping their dream of going on Umrah become a reality....

Imagine...if you couldn't hear the Qur'an, narrations of Hadith and melodious qasidahs. If you couldn't fully appreciate the adhaan in its touching glory. If you lived in a world where sound simply didnt exist. Many of our brothers and sisters do and for them, the opportunity to visit Umrah with British Sign Language Interpreters in a unique and often once in a lifetime opportunity. Al Isharah is a charity who works tirelessly for the religious needs of Deaf Muslims and inshaAllah is planning their 3rd Deaf Umrah in March. Please watch the appeal video and please please give of what you can- May Allah reward you all for your pennies, pounds and duas!

www.justgiving.com/deafumrah

Standard protocol

A "I just hope I get a jobbbbb"
H "seek(h) and you shall find!"
A "no no, Muslim and you shall find"

That Hand Shake...

... you know the one. The one that prevents you from preparing adequately for any interview because that moment in itself marks the pinnacle of the whole event and informs you of how well the interview will go.

But I go off point somewhat.

Today, I heard one of the nicest things I have heard from a non Muslim thus far in life. A comment so unexpectedly courteous that it deserves to be noted to be remembered. As Muslims we are taught to be of those who put others at ease. Subhannallah, the manner in which I was put at ease is smile rendering.

The legal world. Full of men and handshakes. My world. A female and more interested in grand sheikhs. With an upcoming legal competition I will be participating in, I decided to inform my competition partner about my preference before hand (excuse the pun!), in the interest of full disclosure and what not and to make the whole situation less awkward if it came down to it.


"....So I just wanted to inform you of something. *pause* I don't really shake hands of men and so in the competition I won't feel comfortable shaking the opponents hands. It's a religious belief. I just wanted to let you know beforehand so that you ar awarw and to let you know that I still want to keep things professional without offending" (or to that effect)

He was silent at first.

Then said, in a manner of kindness,

"Don't worry. I am sure the judges have met many different people in their time and are used to such situations!" (or to that effect)

Yehp. Pretty normal nice thing.
Phew.
But then...

"For all you know you all (competitiors) might have the same belief of not shaking hands and I might be the only strange one there going upto people forcing my hand on them and embarassing myself."

And thus it was. Having felt and indeed been a minority of somesort all my life, I was made to feel, by a English non muslim male, completely at ease and infact part of the majority.

The power of words eh. The sharing of sentiments. Maturity of intellect. Alhamdulilah.

How many an ayah of the Quran and hadith come to mind about Allah stating that if his servant seeks to act in obedience to Him, He indeed facilitates it and He indeed Comes even nearer. May Allah enable us and make it easy for us to be of those who seek to act in obedience to Him, seek His Nearness in our daily works and when faced with dunya keep loyal to the essential priorities. Ameen!

Message for the Youth!

....and not so youth.

Imam Asim tells it like it is, in the below video, discussing an issue which is greatly neglected in our times. Subhannallah, a hard hitting lecture, one that every single youth of today NEEDS to watch.

If you've made it this far, when there are so many other places you could currently be on world wide web, then consider that maybe it is worth you spending the time to watch the video...?! It is definately worth it indeed.

Unbelieveable

...Except for those who believe in Allah's Immense Karam.

Ok, so perhaps there are more unbelievable stories out there, but when one such beautiful moment touches oneself, how can one not Praise The Lord of The World, through Whom all motions are commanded and nothing becomes but through His Saying "Be" and it is.

The moment I am talking about is very simple. But there is beauty in simple things:

Meeting someone at the exact moment after thinking about them.

It happens often. I'm sure it's happened to all.

As simple as that is, thoughts work fast alhamdulilah and each action builds momentum towards the next. Thinking about spending the afternoon with someone, when in probability terms it wouldn't be likely. Turning around, only to see them driving past. Them seeing you, only because you turned around. What's in a moment? Everything! Subhannallah. Allah answers prayers that we don't even realise we make! One naat rings in my ears "Iss Karam Kaa Karoon, Shukr keseh adhah" - apologies for any mis-spelling, though its the sentiments carried within!

Subhannallah. His Mercy is actually so Substantial and so Manifest and so Great and so Generous that it would be unbelieveable (in the "woahhhhh no way man" kinda way) except for those who believe.

It could have been my sudden compelled action-that I turned around and her car passed at that moment that joined us, it could have been my thoughts, intrisic duas that I didn't know I made that joined us. But neither of the two are worthy I don't think. I guess its the duas of my mother yearning to see her daughter, that Allah Answered.
Mothers.
The Rasool.
Allah.
Treasure.

"Keep Working For Good" - Imam Zaid Talk, UK, 2011

Asalamalaikum,

So the below notes are a selection from notes taken during Imam Zaid Shakir's visit during his trip the UK in Summer 2011, at the Traditional Halaqa, arranged by Shifa Trust.

The talk was entitled "The End of Time" and was largely about the Signs and the Mehdi, though here I detail some more general and inspiring notes of advice and wisdom given.

As with all notes uploaded on here, please forgive any mistakes, all of which are reflective only on the inabilities of the one who heard the message [myself] and not on the one who conveyed the message.

---

"The best way of preparing yourself for the end of times is to follow the ways of Rasool.

The Prophet didn't give the sahaba a list of signs to look for, but asked them what they had done to prepare for it.

The Prophet (saws) said, "You will be with those whom you love" and so we follow Allah's command and the Prophets example. That's the best we can do to prepare ourselves.

Divorce your heart from this world as Allah will love you - The love of Allah shouldn't be in our heads, it should be in our hearts. But with the dunya, we must keep it in the thought process (working on projects, working hard etc) and not in the heart.

The dunya can be in your hand and you use it for good. If it doesn't affect your heart, that's fine

One should always look to the direction He is sending one in. Maybe if you accept what Allah has given you, He will Give you through acceptance what you look for through divergence.

If we have good ettiquettes with Allah, He will give us what we are looking for, in the situation we find ourselves in.

Keep working for good, even at the end of times- if the final hour is coming and you have a seed in your hand, you should plant it. Stay in a good state.
--

Whoever acts on what they know, Allah gives them knowledge of what they don't know.
If Allah Gives us knowledge, then what we can achieve is limitless.

The first stage towards this is the person acknowledging thier need for Allah.
We say we rely on our brainpower and intellect- yet what have we done for the deen? Yet look at [the success of] those who relied on Allah! Give yourself to Allah. He Will Enrich you. Uplift you. Empower you. No one humbles themselves for the sake of Allah except that He Elevates them. How much further can we go replying on ourselves? How much more of a mess can we make?

To overcome challenges we have to humble ourselves.

--

The Prophet (saws) gave us a distinction which he didn't even give to his sahaba- that of being his brothers and sisters despite never seeing him (saws). This is a bushra [glad tiding] for us!!!

"Amongst people most intense in love for me in this Ummah are those who do not see me but love me. And they give their family and wealth just to see me" - wheras the sahaba saw his noor in its entirity.

The Prophet (saws) thus extends to us and praises us in love for hum and places its worth higher than that of the Sahaba. This is a class dinstinction. However, in regards to individuals, the best were them, the khulafaah al rashideen.

We must invoke, "Oh Allah, forgive us and those who preceeded us in Islam and don't place any ranquer in our hearts against them" --> we must have good opinion of all believers, people have been honoured with Islam and only those worthy are honoured.

We should thus uphold the 'izzah [respect] which Allah has given to the believers. We have to love the people who say La illah illAllah. Remember the parable of the believers, that we are one ummah, likened to one body. We don't have time for a bad opinion. This is a violation of others' rights! This puts a barrier between you and this is not right.

Give people the benefit of the doubt that they are atleast as good a muslim as you are if not better. --> we are all in this together.

--

If we don't appreciate the advantages we have, Allah will take them away.

Allah didn't Put you in a refugee camp. He Put you here. He Gave you the opportunity to serve the people. To work for Islam. We have to know our place. Shed light for people. Be light for people.

--

Realise that who you marry is part of a historical process.

If someone comes and you are pleased with their religion and character, marry him; or there will be great fasaad on the earth.

--

If we were more spiritually connected, we wouldn't be so deeply haunted, not would we have so many faults.

Ask Allah for His lufdh- His Gentleness as He Unfolds His decree in our life.

If we want good and seek good, we will find good and find it wherever we are.
"I am as My Servant Thinks I am." This is encouragement.

--