Thursday, October 30, 2008

Searching for Aspirations...


Bismillahirrahmanirrahim….


These few days had been a struggle. A struggle for me to study and keep pushing myself to the maximum limit. Yesterday, I guess, I was tired. I was unable to focus at all. Frustrated tears were streaming down my face as I lie down to sleep, praying that today my drive to study would climb up again. Hence I try to write this today, with the hope to motivate myself, get myself to gain the momentum to study again.


The study week… for some students, this is the time to do last minute study. For others, it is just a time to do some revision. For me, perhaps it is a little bit of both. A time to complete missing personal notes and commit everything to memory.


Searching for some self-motivations, I seek Him and prayed for strength, for ease of mind, and purity if heart. I am afraid that the knowledge did not enter my mind due to the many sins I had committed in the past. I try to refocus back on my aim to study, for myself, my parents, for the society, and most importantly for Allah.


I fell asleep last night with my mind pondering all these… Alhamdulillah, waking up, I felt more focused and more motivated to study. And I suddenly remembered a nasyeed I used to sing a long time ago, at grade 6 (as a theme song for our UPSR that year)


Ummat Islam harus cemerlang

Hari ini mesti lebih baik dari semalam..

Jangan buang masa

Siapa kata kita tidak boleh

Kita ada Allah maha Kuasa

Kita punya kuasa tenaga

Doa sebagai senjata....


Then I smiled to myself,”Yes, I am a Muslim... I can do this, with Your help, InsyaAllah…”


Thank you Allah…

Thanks to the memories…

To my parents who have always prayed and motivated me on

To the teachers and murabbi who thought me of life

To friends who are always there to remind me, and push me foreword…


Please pray for me… 1st paper is at 3rd November…


**this may be my last post until the exams are over… but who knows, maybe if I have something to write out, I will. Wallahu’alam…

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Flash Floods Hit Yamen


Actually, this news was yesterday's. But just to highlight the plight of our brothers and sisters out there in Yamen, a country with one of the most Islamic scholars still alive.

As of today, the flash flood had already claimed 65 lives, and destroyed more than 1,700 houses in Mahara and Hadramaut alone. There has also been reports of power and water cuts across the provinces. You can read more of the news [here].

Well... so what? Some may ask. So what is the big deal about? I personally think this should matter a lot, not just to me, but also to all Muslims out there, for there is a hadeeth (if I am not mistaken) that says, "one is not truly a believer until one loves his brother as much as oneself." -a/n: not direct traslation, just the overall meaning.

I know, we have heard of no humanitarian aid funds set up for them from Malaysia yet,a t least. But the least we can do for these brothers and sisters, who are going thru such a hard time out there, is to make a du'aa for them. May Allah ease their suffering and help them thru. Just as an additional info for those who are not yet aware of their situation, Yamen is a poor Islamic country, and may not have enough to help out its people.

Also, let us make a du'aa and help out in any way we can to the victims of the flood in Perak and Kedah as well. May Allah make the burden lighter on them all.. ameen...


** Just got the news that my friend's father died this afternoon at 4 p.m. let's recite al-Fatihah for him... May His soul rest in peace, with Rahmah and Maghfirah from Allah.

Friday, October 24, 2008

Getting out of the Comfort Zone



Waking up this morning by the shrill music of my hand phone alarm, I groaned sleepily. Yet, as the loud sound bugged my sleep again and again, I forced myself to look at the time. As sleep wore off, I remembered the purpose of the early-morning call.


Mentally motivating myself to wake up, I finally get out of the comfort of my bed to the washroom and get ready for Solah. Yes, that’s the purpose of the early-morning call. Admittedly, I have not been doing much Qiamullail lately. Perhaps since I am studying until late at night, it has been more and more difficult to wake up in the early hours to pray. The comforts of the bed and the ‘nafs’ inside told me to carry on with my beauty sleep. To pamper myself for a while more until fajr for the Subuh prayer.

Yet, I realize that somehow or other, the old trend had to go. I have to stop cherishing my sleep too much, and to pamper my nafs less. Studying hard, that is a must. But it is only for this temporary world. Qiamullail is also a must (although not wajib). This is because the latter is both for my happiness in this world and the hereafter.


In this world, a calm heart can only be found if one is close to the Creator, and always have Him to turn to at every point of life. And it is mostly in the early hours, and the earliest moments of the day, that we can strengthen this relationship. At a time when everyone else is in dreamland, confined to the comforts of their beds. This is a time when Allah seeks out those who are searching for Him, for His help and guidance, for forgiveness and repentance. No, it is not that He would not listen at other times, it is just the best time to pour our hearts, as He said in numerous verses of the Quran, He is nearest to His servants then.


Today I had decided. I decide to change my study style, hopefully until the finals, and until I graduate. To stay-up less, and wake up earlier instead. So that I can study after qiam. Sure, it is not a norm yet, and will somewhat be difficult. But I know it is time. Time to get out of my own comfort zone. For one of the many things that I had learnt in this road of self improvement thru tarbiyyah is that sometimes, you just have to force yourself. To get out of the comfort zone, and push yourself to become a better person, to be a better you.


I posted this, not to tell everyone of what I did this morning. No, not to brag of my resolves. Just so that all of you can make a du’a that I can be Istiqamah in the amal, and have strength to improve myself. Also a call for us all, to try our hardest to improve ourselves, in any way we found possible, in all aspects available, be it in terms of ibadah, akhlaq, studies, Islamic knowledge, in our day-to-day interactions, and even in our work for Islam.


Lastly, remember that a butterfly will not be beautiful had it not come out of its cocoon. Nor will a person. If we stay happily in our bed of comforts, we will not go out far. A person will be beautiful, a true character only if he worked his way into becoming a mu’min and muttaqin, despite the many trials and setbacks. May Allah give us the strength to increase ourselves, our faith, imaan and knowledge in this path towards Him. Ameen…

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

The American Cresent


I really liked this article... so i'm sharing it here.
Source: Al-Jazeera English edition



In a special two-part film Rageh Omaar travelled across the US exploring the roots and influence of Islam in America.

Abdi says he would sacrifice his life for the country he calls home.

The taxi driver taking me to the airport in Minneapolis is not referring to his birthplace, Somalia, but to the US – the place where he has lived for the last 13 years.

Abdi is part of a 44,000-strong Somali community in the liberal western state of Minnesota, most of who are Muslim.

My own adopted home, England, has an even larger Somali community, which has been settled for longer, but they do not tend to think of England as home.

But in Minnesota, Somalis – no less scarred or traumatised by their experiences - seem to have planted roots deeper and faster than any Somali community I have seen in the world.

They do not talk of returning home, they are home.

The Somali community's sense of belonging in Minnesota runs contrary to the image many people may have of an irreconcilable conflict between America and Islam.

Electoral milestone

Estimates put the number of Muslims in the US as high as eight million, and the faith is thought to be the fastest growing religion in the country.

Minnesota's population is largely Christian and Jewish, so it may seem an odd destination to begin a journey looking at the origins of Islam in the US.

But in 2007 the state elected America's first Muslim congressman - Keith Ellison.

He admits that being a Muslim in the US can be a "bumpy" experience, but says that people should not use that as an excuse to disengage from society.

"You have to get involved. You have to run the risks that you're going to encounter bumps along the way," he says.

The Somali community in Minnesota has certainly engaged. After meeting Keith, I went to a party for recent Somali university graduates - part of the latest wave of immigration to the US.

One young man celebrating his achievements tells me that while he and his friends have not forgotten their identity they are determined to give something back to their new community.

The Somali community in Minnesota represents the modern face of Islam in America. But the roots and history of the religion in the US stretch back further than most people realise.

I travelled to the town of Jackson in Mississippi, America's Deep South. I had my own preconceptions about this being a place of segregation and prejudice.

However Islam's roots in the US begin here. Many slaves shipped from Africa to work on the grand plantations of the south were Muslims.

Slave origins

Largely forbidden from practicing their faith they found different ways, such as singing, to express their religion.

Okolo Rashid founded the International Museum of Muslim Cultures in Jackson - the first in the US. Her research suggests that the number of Muslim slaves was much greater than previously thought.

"One third of all the enslaved Africans that were brought to the Americas actually were Muslims," she tells me.

Artemis Gaye describes his story as "roots in reverse" [Amanda Sealy: CTVC]
After slavery was abolished, millions of African Americans abandoned the south and headed north to seek their fortunes in the factories and stockyards of the big cities.

Their other choice was to sail for Liberia, the country established for freed slaves by the US.

The early settlers of Liberia encountered little but disease and hardship. And modern Liberia has suffered a succession of devastating civil wars, causing those who had the means to do so to leave.

In Chicago, I met one such Liberian, who has turned the story of slavery and emancipation on its head. He is Artemis Gaye, the great, great, great, great grandson of Prince Abdul Rahman Ibrahim, an African Muslim prince and scholar who was enslaved in Mississippi for over 40 years.

Prince Ibrahim was one of the first settlers of the new Liberia, and his story is portrayed in the International Museum of Muslim Cultures I had visited in Jackson.

Artemis told me that discovering his ancestry through research in Chicago's libraries was like winning the lottery. He describes his story as "roots in reverse".

"This country has to understand that its roots – especially when it comes to African Americans – are Islamic roots," he says.

Chicago's cultural diversity and relative harmony, including a large Muslim community, is surprising given its divided past and history of race riots and black separatism.

Today, the city is home to the largest number of African American Muslims in the US and Islam has a role to play in combating the endemic gang violence.

I met convicted murderer Rafi Peterson, who converted to Islam while in jail and now runs Chicago's only half-way house for Muslim ex-prisoners.

'Matter of survival'

The house is a calm oasis in a neighbourhood destroyed by drugs, guns and violence.

Rafi does not condemn the gang members out of hand. "It's a matter of survival" he says. "They gotta do what they gotta do to survive. My thing is that if you wanna turn people away, you gotta turn 'em towards something."

"Americans I think are subject to fear just like any people in the world"

Keith Ellison, US congressman

And he feels that Islam is the "something" that can offer gang members an alternative.

Towards the end of my trip I visit the capital, Washington DC. It might come as a huge surprise to many people but America's founding fathers knew and respected the basic principles of Islam.

Thomas Jefferson, for example, had his own copy of the Quran. And monuments in Washington acknowledge Islam's contribution to world civilisation.

One of Jefferson's crowning achievements was establishing freedom of speech and freedom of religion and that is what many Muslims in the US I spoke to were thankful for.

In the course of my trip, the message I heard from Muslims was largely about opportunity and rights, about having a stake in this country and being made to feel that they belong.

In Washington I met up again with Congressman Keith Ellison who was sworn in to office using Thomas Jefferson's Quran.

I asked him whether, despite Muslims' confidence in themselves as US citizens, most Americans across the country are still afraid of Islam.

"Americans I think are subject to fear just like any people in the world," he replied.

"But I think there is a deeply rooted tolerance. We've been through a momentous civil rights movement, we've been through all kinds of social change movements, all marching the country toward a greater level of equality and I think people are just not ready to try and cut anybody out of the deal."

Rageh Omaar's search for the roots of Islam in America can be seen from Sunday, October 19, at the following times GMT: Sunday 0000 and 14000, Monday 1000 and 1900, Tuesday 0600

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Thanks a Lot... Dearest Ukhtie


The real beauty of Islam lies in many things. One of them is Ukhuwah.

Yes, ukhuwah Imanyyiah, bonded by 'Aqeedah and fikrah. This is a beauty that not many people is blessed with. The sweetness of having friends, who love us like sisters. Who is willing to give a helping hand, regardless of her own hardships. Willing to lend a listening ear, and always ready to advise when it is needed.

Actually... today I really want to thank someone. A friend who is always there to help. An ukhtie who had thought me so much, and get me thru so many of life's trials. Jazakillah for all your help, teaching me many things, patiently reminding me again and again on this tough road, it's tribulations and rewards. Patiently encouraging me on, holding my hand and showing me the path towards Him, pulling me thru when I am lost or stumble along the way.

Dearest ukhtie...
Getting to know you is a real blessing from Him. I still remember your friendly smile and the way you immediately chatted to me, to make me feel at ease during the camp which brought us together. The camp gave me a lot, thought me more about life and allowed me to make many new friends as well. Alhamdulillah one of them is you.

I know you are going to go soon. To carry on with your ambition and to fulfill your dreams. I will really miss you. You've been a real brick to me these two years I am here in KL. I pray to Allah that, in any land that Allah will send you, may His Love always be with you, and may the path that you take will guide you closer to Him. May both of us still remain strong in this road, upholding this deen, until we enter Jannah, ameen.

We may be apart after this. But I sincerely hope that, even if we are unable to see each other again after you go, we will meet each other again in the next life, and go to Jannah together. Uhibbuki fillah wa lillah, ya sahabati!

Friday, October 17, 2008

Words to my Muslim Sisters

My Dear Sister,

Know that you are man's sister and half of humanity. You are a mother, wife, daughter, sister, aunt, grand daughter or grand mother. The Prophet said, what translated means, Women are, indeed, men's partners. [Abu Dawood]. You are a member of the great nation of Islam, the best nation ever produced for mankind. No other nation on earth has more great men, leaders and conquerors than this nation. It is the nation of guidance and the straight religion, and it leads humanity to righteousness and truth. It transforms people from worshippers of slaves to worshippers of the Lord of slaves, from life's pressures to the pleasures of the Life after, and from the injustice of other religions to the justice of Islam.

Your ancestors, great women of Islam, were one of the main reasons for this great nation to take this great place among all nations. Allah, Who granted Islam to this nation, made a high place for Muslim women, and decreed that they share in the responsibilities of enjoining truth, forbidding evil and raising the flag of Islam. He said, what translated means, The believers, men and women, are loyalists of one another, they enjoin righteousness and forbid evil, they offer their prayers perfectly and give the Zakat, and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah will leave His Mercy on them. Surely Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise. [9:71]

Allah has given Muslim women what they can bare of orders and duties. He is the God Who knows His creation,Should He not know what He created? And He is the Most Kind, All-Aware (of everything). [67:14].

My dear sister, you are called upon today to truly become an active member of the Muslim nation, strive to establish victory for Allah's Word, implement the Quran and help build the generation of Iman.

What Do Your Enemies Want From You?

There are those who want to distract you from doing your duty. They want to distract you from meeting your noble obligation, that is, to defend the religion of Allah and raise His Word high. Those enemies use many methods:

First: They distract you from what Allah created you to perform of worship, belief and Da'wah (propagating Islam). They use this worldly life as their bate: Jewelry stores, fashions that originate in non-Muslim countries, new models all the time, desires raised, hunger that can never be satisfied, pleasures and competition for them and endless ways for joy. Allah did not create us for this. Indulging in these matters is usually accompanied by wasting time and money and igniting enmity and competition between the rich and the poor.

Second: They ignite enmity between you and man. To those sinners, you are a daughter that is put down, a humiliated mother, an abused wife and an oppressed sister! Men are always unjust, hypocrites, dictators, freedom- preventers and suppressors, according to them. There is a fabricated war that those evil ones are starting for no reason other than to direct you to rebel against your father, be arrogant with your brother and disobedient to your husband. They do not call for justice, mercy and unity. They call for hatred, arrogance and destruction.

Third: They do not stop at their call for rebellion against parents, brothers and husbands, rather, they plot against Islam. They call upon you to rebel against the obligations of Islam and the decrees of the All-Knowing King. Islam, to them, is unjust and Islamic laws are imperfect and restrictive. They call upon you, day and night, to rebel and insist on the disobedience of this religion. They try to rid you of your religion. They try to rid you of comfort and safety under generous parenthood, happy marriage and good brotherly relations.

Those devils portray piety and honor as chains on freedom. To them, Hijab does not cover the head, but also covers the mind; prayer, fasting and Zakat are a waste of time and effort; and obedience to husbands is slavery and a retum to the stone age. They distorted all facts and changed all truths, all to serve their evil goals.

Dear Sister,

The goals that your enemies and the enemies of your religion are seeking to achieve are well known. They want you to be available for them to fulfill their evil desires whenever they wish. They want you to be a mistress that has no honor. They want you to be found everywhere, on roads and in places of sin, without honor, religion or manners. They seek for you only what they want you to do. The Western world has gone through this all. Women of the West are the part of society that is facing injustice and dishonor. They strive to please men who keep changing partners and seek pleasures but with no responsibility and no consideration of the evil consequences of their sinful actions.

O Muslim sister, read and know about those women who discarded shyness and honor and followed their desires, what was the result of their deeds? Was their end honorable and desirable, or was it a shameful and hated end?

Advice For My Sister In Islam

Be proud of your religion and the religion of your ancestors. Be a good example for your sons and daughters and sincere in your belonging to this mighty nation. Know that honor is an honor to all wise people, and that adultery is dishonorable to all nations, even if some called it freedom. Know that adultery is also done with the eyes by seeing, with the ears by listening, and with the mouth by kissing, as was mentioned in a Hadith related by Imam Muslim. Your happiness is in being an obedient and believing daughter, a loyal and generous wife and a pious and merciful mother. Know that prayer is the cornerstone of Islam. Fasting one day, for the sake of Allah, takes your face seventy years away from Hellfire, as the Hadith, related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim, states. Charity is a major cause for gaining forgiveness and for repentance to be accepted. Those women who are showing parts of their bodies to men, will not enter Paradise or smell its fragrance and are cursed, as in the Hadith related by Imam Muslim. Hijab is an honor and protection for you. Hijab must be modest in color and not exotic, wide and thick and not revealing, different from the dress of non-Muslim women and men.

My Dear Sister,

These are words from the heart. These are words of good and sincere advice. Beware of the loyalists of Satan who want to lead you astray. Be a slave of Allah, righteous and decendent of righteous women and know your role in building this great nation. Perform your duty and do not be a cause for destruction. Be a maker of righteous generation that will lead mankind, again, to what is right and proper, to the great religion of Islam.

by The Muslim Creed Magazine
taken from: http://www.misgonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=181&Itemid=64

A Wierd Afternoon

I actually meant to write something quite long on account of what had happened today and yesterday, but had to postpone it for later, for i'm quite busy at the moment. I hope I can write on it tomorrow, insyaAllah....

But anyway... just want to share a very funny and somewhat unfocused afternoon i had have, as I went down to Jalan TAR today, running some errands. At first, everything is just fine, up till the point when I had decided to take the LRT to Sultan Ismail station, instead of Sogo to go to Maju Junction. Well, admittedly, I had never been at the station, but by reading at the station signboard, the station does seem to be nearer to Maju Junction Mall. So, being the impulsive-and-sometimes-too-brave girl, I decide to just try to find my way to the mall. Unfortunately, I had walked quite far, climbed a pedestrian's bridge (um.. is that what it's supposed to be called?? Forgot already..hehe...) and then discovered that I had walked in the opposite direction of the mall.

Afterwards, I went to take out some money at an ATM machine nearby. I successfully managed to forget the fact that I placed my folder on top of the machines rushing out of the bank to get to Mydin and come back home before it rains again. Alhamdulillah someone in the bank noticed the file, and caught my attention on time. The file does contain extremely valuable things-my lecture notes as well as short notes I've made for the final exams (Alhamdulillah it's not left behind!)

As I was grumbling to myself for being so foolish and out-of-tune, I put my bags outside Mydin, went in and discovered that they do not have what I was searching for, and then, in my absent-mindedness, I had almost exited the shop using the entrance. I was stopped by their worker, of course. And on top of it all, when I went out (using the correct exit this time, thankfully) and head to the baggage counter to get my backpack, somehow or other I had sailed past the baggage place and entered the store once again *sigh*. I was surprised when I realize this, of course, and had to, again, walk all the way to the other end of the store to exit.

Thankfully, though, no more foolish escapades or lapse of focus occur afterward. And I am happy to say that I arrived home safely, Alhamdulillah... (^_~)

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Truth Hurts.. A LOT!!


This morning...
I woke up
Pondering of my past
And a realization struck me
Shocked and saddened me to the core

Is my imaan decreasing?
or has my pride and ego took over my determination?
Had my nafs somewhat won in the ongoing war with my heart?

No, I had not really changed much,
perhaps,
In my appearance
Nor did I act in any way to make Him mad (hopefully...)

Yet...
I didn't realize
that for quite a while
I had stopped doing something I'm supposed to do
Something entrusted to me,
the moment I had determined to live as a Mu'min
Something that I had vowed to do,
ever since I get to really, truly understand
The Prophet's sacrifice
and the illness that had engulfed the ummah
That he had strived for,
Fought for,
Shed blood and tears for.

The 'something'
is... my responsibility
as Allah had stated in The Book,
"Verily, you are the best ummah,
you call others to do good,
and prevent them from doing harm..."
(not exact translation)

Oh Allah...
Forgive your servant
For neglecting this duty
For not helping you spread this deen
For not fulfilling the promise I made years earlier
also..
For giving up on trying
when the going gets tough

And...
May I be strong, creative
and persistent
despite setbacks upon setbacks
trials and tribulations
put forth
in this path towards You

"Nahnu du'at qabla kullu syai'in!!"

~Self monologue... not even a poem.. just some reflections...~


*Please pray for me... feeling quite down currently.. *sigh*

Sunday, October 12, 2008

:: Some Words of Wisdom ::

I know.. I am guilty of not updating for a while... It's been a hectic week-after-the-break.
But anyway, here I am... with a super short post this time.
Something to really ponder on...


Human are created to be loved, and materials are created to be used. Yet nowadays, humans are being used, and materials are being loved.

A sad but very true situation indeed, for the world today. Are we one of those people who use others, and love materials? Something for our mind to chew on for a while... may we love others (especially Muslims) as we love ourselves, for a true Believer is one who cares for his brothers and sisters as much as he cares for himself.


the quote is credited to my 2nd mother here in KL... jazakillah makcik for sharing them with me. (^_~)

end of post... have to continue reviewing my notes and making more of them *sigh* (note to self: "Patience, Humayra, for studying is a jihad also...")

**Note: All the best to my brother, and all brothers and sisters out there taking PMR tomorrow. my brother hasn't called me yet, and i'm kind of worried. but i hope that he, and the rest of those taking PMR this year, will do well. May Allah help u to walk into the exam hall and stay calm, and do well, obtain the best result for yourself, your future and for the future of Islam, ameen....

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

I'm Not Afraid to Stand Alone

Just want to share..
the words touched me to the core, for sometimes i do feel sort of alone too..
Song by: Native Deen




I am not afraid to stand alone
I am not afraid to stand alone
If Allah is by my side
I am not afraid to stand alone
Everything is gonna be alright
I am not afraid to stand alone
Going keep my head up high

I am not afraid to stand alone
If Allah is by my side
Everything is going be alright
Going to keep my head up high

Single mother raising her children
And Now she's a Muslim
Started praying and wearing a headscarf
It Was a healing for her heart

Struggling with no one to lean on
But with prayer she would be strong
Had a job but then she was laid off
Got a better education and it paid off

She was called for a job that she dreamed of
Close by, great pay -she was in love --
They brought her in -- told her shes the 1 pick
You got the job, but you gotta lose the outfit"

It's a tough position that you put me in
Cause look at my condition, and my two children
But I'll continue looking for a job again
Cause my faith and my religion I will never bend

I am not afraid to stand alone
I am not afraid to stand alone
If Allah is by my side
I am not afraid to stand alone
Everything is gonna be alright
I am not afraid to stand alone
Going keep my head up high

I am not afraid to stand alone
If Allah is by my side
Everything is going be alright
Going to keep my head up high

Peer pressure, they were insisting
And I was resisting
Some days.... I felt I would give in
Just wanted to fit in

I know.....when I'm praying and fasting'
They be teasing and laughing
So I called to my Lord for the power
For the strength every day, every hour...

one day there's a new Muslim teacher
Single mom and the people respect her
Just seeing.... her strength I get stronger
They can break my will no longer

You don't see me sweatin' when they're jokes cracking
Never see me cussing' with my pants saggin'
I aint never running Yo Im still standing,
sorry I aint jumping on your band wagon, cause...

I am not afraid to stand alone
I am not afraid to stand alone
If Allah is by my side
I am not afraid to stand alone
Everything is gonna be alright
I am not afraid to stand alone
Going keep my head up high

I am not afraid to stand alone
If Allah is by my side
Everything is going be alright
Going to keep my head up high

Now, I'm a tough one, who can bear their blows
The rest play dumb, they don't dare say no
Scared of being shunned, but its clear they know
I aint never gonna run, I aint scared no more....

Man, these sisters be resolute
Never stressed when the rest say they wasn't cute
And the get the respect of the other youth
Come best with the dress yo and thats the truth

These sisters are strong gonna hand it down
So me Im a brotha gotta stand my ground
No fear, Im tough Im the man in town
Peer pressure no more, its my planet now

Others may fall, but Im hold my own
With Allahs help I'll be strong as stone
And I'll be the one to let Al Islam be shown
Cause I am not afraid yo to stand alone

I am not afraid to stand alone
I am not afraid to stand alone
If Allah is by my side
I am not afraid to stand alone
Everything is gonna be alright
I am not afraid to stand alone
Going keep my head up high

I am not afraid to stand alone
If Allah is by my side
Everything is going be alright
Going to keep my head up high

Monday, October 6, 2008

Candy and Vinegar

Really like this article.. so i decided to share it here.. Taken from: http://msmlondon.wordpress.com/2008/03/09/candy-and-vinegar/

Once upon a time, there were two shops. One was selling candy and the other – vinegar. Between the two shop owners there was intense rivalry.

candy-cane.jpg

VS

The vinegar shop was a great success compared to the one selling candy. Every single customer who visited the vinegar shop would always come out of it with ‘gallons’ of vinegar while the customers of the candy shop would come out empty handed.

This imbalance went on for awhile until one day, the candy seller decided to close down the shop. Feeling disgruntled and perplexed at the same time, he said to himself: “I just can’t leave in this state. I must go down to the vinegar shop and ask the vinegar seller the reason for the secret of his success.”

So, he went down to the vinegar shop said to the vinegar seller: “Listen here now; I sell candy – something that is nice and sweet. Everybody loves candy. But you, you are selling vinegar – something that is nasty, sour and disliked by most people. Can you please explain to me how you can sell much more than me?”

“Well, perhaps it is because I sell vinegar with a candy face but you sell candy with a vinegar face,” replied the vinegar seller, smiling.

One of the more important lessons we can grasp from this story is that the nature of the product one is trying to sell has little bearing on its sales. In fact, the product can be very nice and sweet, but what matters more is how one presents one’s self, and the product, in the process.

We are reminded in the Quran that the Prophet (pbuh) was sent as a mercy to all mankind.

As described by Allah (swt) in Surah al-Anbiyaa’, verse 107:

وما أرسلنك إلا رحمة للعلمين

107. We sent Thee not, but As a Mercy for all creatures.

We also know that the Prophet (pbuh) is the best and most beautiful example that anyone can find, as is described by Allah (swt) in Surah al-Ahzab, verse 21:

لقد كان لكم في رسول الله أسوة حسنة لمن كان يرجوا الله واليوم الأخر وذكر الله كثيرا

21. Ye have indeed In the Messenger of Allah a beautiful pattern (of conduct) for any one whose hope is In Allah and the final Day, and who engages much In the Praise of Allah.

From the Seerah of the Prophet (pbuh) that we read to each other and discuss in our circles and gatherings, we know that even though the people of Quraisy detested and vilified the Prophet (pbuh) for delivering the message and the revelation sent to him by Allah (swt), they never denied that he (pbuh) had excellent manners and attitudes that were very well respected by them.

Let us ponder and reflect on this.

To what extent do we make our Prophet (pbuh) as our role-model in the hustle and bustle of our daily lives?

Let us strive to improve ourselves, to become better Muslim individuals. Let us make an effort to understand what it means to become Muslim individuals who have sound creed, correct worship, robust bodies and excellent characters bar none. Let us strive together to become Muslim individuals who are knowledgeable and able to earn a living, Muslims individuals who strive against their own whims and lust, Muslims individuals who are keen on time, well organized and useful to others. Let us also strive to understand our Deen more thoroughly and what is meant by ‘doing da’wah work’.

All these can only aid us in conveying the message of Islam and da’wah, making our voices louder through the amplifier that is our actions.

Having said that, one point that most people tend to misinterpret is that; some might think that he or she can wait until all these qualities are developed before striving to do da’wah work. The writer responds with a resounding no.

What should be done is that both the da’wah work as well as the betterment of oneself should be done in parallel.

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A very good analogy that one of the brothers came up with is that doing da’wah is like washing the dishes. When you are trying to wash and clean away the stains, inevitably you are cleaning your hands and fingers at the same time.

Similarly, when you are doing da’wah and trying to convey the message of da’wah and Islam to the people around you be it your friends or relatives, inevitably you are purifying your souls and reminding yourself of the messages that you are conveying.

It is up to you to decide.

Truly, this is only but a reminder, and of course for your own benefit, in this world and the hereafter.

May Allah (swt) forgives all of our sins and accepts all of the good deeds, God willing.