OrGaNiZeD KoNFuSioN

The Marriage Post # 2

So this wasnt supposed to happen. I figured I would have one marriage post maybe every month, but something extremely odd happened the other day that I could not help but share.

So i miss a phone call yesterday morning, I look and its the imam who leaves me a message on my phone. I have a rather 'unique' voicemail which the imam always gets a kick out of and plays along with.

I call back.

"Salaamu alaykum!"
"Walaykum assalaam Iboo, how are you?"
"Alhumdulillah"
"So...whats going on?"
"....uhh....nothing?"
"yeah?"
"what you talkin about?"
"whats your plan for marriage?"
"....gulp"
"caught you off guard? lol"
"uhh...yeah a little"
"So when are you gonna get married?"
"Not any time soon"
"Why not?"
"Because im broke as a joke"
"lol, so... do you have anyone in mind?"
"well...i do have a list"
"o yah?"
"yeah"
"well anyone in particular?"
"yeah theres ^%$^&%$&^%$ and also ^%$^&%$&^"
"oh...ok. Anyone from our area?"
"No, everyone in our community is young"
"What do you consider young?"
"19"
"well...we do have some 20 year olds in our community"
"really?...(obvious pause because any 20 year olds in our community are not on da list)"
"Well what is the plan Ibraheeem?!"
"Well...i have like 12 classes left, so i guess next winter me and my mom will start searching"
"Ok well then if anyone comes across my musallah I will let you know"
"...ooo k"
"I am just taking inventory Ibrahim"
"...alright"
"I love you Ibrahim"
"I love you too"

[end transmission]

Now does this mean that I am officially 'on the market' in my community? Does everyone go through this type of thing? Ive talked to him about marriage before and him calling me isnt something surprising cuz thats my nizzle fa shizzle, but at like 10:30AM on a Weekday to be calling me about marriage is pretty shady. I think he had someone in mind.

posted by Iboo LaL @ 7:56 PM Comments: 5

Marriage Post # 1...

So i made a revelation to a certain person yesterday which I didnt think was that odd, yet this person seemed to be completely shocked by what I told them.

I have a list.

Its kind of like a cheat sheet for a fantasy football draft which has a list of who I would be interested in for marriage ranked from 1 to...I dont want to say how many people I have ranked :loser: but lets just say it is a healthy amount.

Now this list obviously isnt static, almost monthly the list can be rearranged in priority and if someone happens to get engaged or married then they are scratched off the list, like a hitman's hitlist.

Is that really that odd?

You have to organize your thoughts if you want to really be clear about what it is you want to do when the time comes. I mean, instead of 'feeling out' potentials for marriage I simply place them on the list and move them up and down depending on if they do something which warrants rearrangement of the order.

I remember at ISNA maybe 2 years ago, Mohammed Magid (HafidhAllah) during a marriage session asked the brothers 'who has written down what it is they want in a wife'. I raised my hand and looked around, realizing that I was one of the only ones who had done so.

Am I being anal?

I think that we need to really know what it is we want in a spouse before we go out searching, or else we are gonna look really dumb when we think we have found what we like and they turn out to be a loser.

May ALLAH grant us all success in this life and the hearafter, and grant us spouses and children who are comfort for our eyes...ameen

posted by Iboo LaL @ 7:44 PM Comments: 6

The Sincerity Factor...

posted by Iboo LaL @ 9:10 PM Comments: 1

Stupid Advisors...

So for my major you have to take 2 semesters of calculus based physics. I had already taken the non calc based physics at the community college and gotten A's in em, but was told that they would not be the physics I needed for my major. I was bummed, but I got over it and took the other physics. Needless to say these physics classes have been the hardest classes I have taken.

So i went to my advisor to get authorization to set up my schedule for next semester and tells me something that almost knocks me outta my chair.

I didnt have to take the calc based physics, he actually could have transferred in my non calc physics for the requirements.

Why the hell didnt the other advisor tell me this when I transferred?

I am going to write a letter to my deen and ask em to give me monetary credit for the waste of more than $2500 seeing how I was told I needed the classes and then, didnt need them after all.
You think the deen will give me something?

Make dua!

posted by Iboo LaL @ 1:10 PM Comments: 6

The Milk Carton...

So i was missing from my blog because I had 3 exams to take. Subhan Allah I can not STAND having 3 exams in a week because by the time you get to the last test your burnt out, and when that last class is Physics, its not good.

On top of having an exam today I had to also give the khutbah. I only had an hour to prepare so I ended up cheating and going on www.khutbah.com and stealing one of Mo Al Shareef's. I took the one on sincerity and tweaked it. But I made dua that ALLAH swt make my task easy for me and as always as-Samee' came through. The door to the musallah was locked so we had to wait like 20 minutes before we could get it open. That forced me to unfortunately have to shorten the khutbah. I felt bad for the ma'moomeen because im sure they noticed that I really wasn't into it. I felt like I was just going through the motions and not expressing genuine excitement when I was speaking as I usually try to do. Insha Allah everyone benefitted from it though.

It rained pretty hard the other day and we prayed Asr on campus drenched. I gave a khaatira in which I talked about how ALLAH swt gives us signs all around us in nature. I spoke about how even the rain drew at least two reactions from the Prophet PBUH which were recorded.

Narrated 'Aisha:
(the wife of the Prophet), I never saw Allah's Apostle laughing loudly enough to enable me to see his uvula, but he used to smile only. And whenever he saw clouds or winds, signs of deep concern would appear on his face. I said, "O Allah's Apostle! When people see clouds they usually feel happy, hoping that it would rain, while I see that when you see clouds, one could notice signs of dissatisfaction on your face." He said, "O 'Aisha! What is the guarantee for me that there will be no punishment in it, since some people were punished with a wind? Verily, some people saw (received) the punishment, but (while seeing the cloud) they said, 'This cloud will give us rain.' "

Subhan Allah, to me this is an amazing example of how we should have taqwa of ALLAH swt. Muhammed PBUH feared ALLAH swt's punishment even though he was promised paradise. He knew that ALLAH swt has the ability to do His will, and this made him PBUH have this reaction.

The second reaction to rain the Muhammed PBUH had was when it rained he went out and let some rain get on him and then he came back inside. When asked why he did it, he PBUH said [paraphrase for now cuz i cant find the source] Allah commanded the clouds and they obeyed his command, so I want some of that obedience to come on me.

This shows the love that he PBUH had for ALLAH swt and how much he loved to obey his Lord.

May ALLAH swt make us among those who reflect upon His signs, and increase in Iman whenever we notice one of these signs...ameen

Iboo

posted by Iboo LaL @ 2:02 PM Comments: 0

Dear Saadia...

Now this is a poem i been workin on for my sister for a couple of days, and im not posting it here to get awww's. I want yall to critique it cuz i have'nt written a poem like this before and it seemed like it was all over the place. Check it out!

Dear Saadia

My mirror
You dont notice but sometimes
I just
Stare at you
To see what it is that makes you
Love me the way you do

I try and love you back the same
Im reachin for the sun again
Imagining you
Gone
Wilts my petals till they fall away
Leaving just a stem standing there
Lonely

I stuck bubble gum in your hair
Not once but twice
When i was full
I filled up your plate with my rice

Good times to better
2 square
You remember?
Im the King, no bobbles
Darkwing duck running man
No comment

My heart beats every other beat
For you
My little sister AND brother
And sometimes my mother
Your the guinea pig of my thoughts
Recipient of all my rants

The love of my life
Beaten up brothers
On command
For lookin at you funny

You occupy my dua'
The reason your not married
Is because im too picky
Any body can come and give you a ring
But what does a queen deserve
Other than a King?

Praise Allah and bite your tongue
Reach for work and raise your hands
Listen close and guard your ears
May your hands be rubbed in dust
And success fill up your years

Love you sis!

posted by Iboo LaL @ 8:30 PM Comments: 8

The Yusuf Estes Experience...

So alhumdulillah we had the Yusuf Estes event at the Uni like we had planned but of course, it did not go without incident.

[background info]
We invited Shaykh Yusuf Estes of www.islamtomorrow.com and www.islamalways.com to come and give a talk entitled "What would Moses and Jesus say to Muslims today?". The brother who booked Shaykh Yusuf (may ALLAH reward them both) implied to us that there would be no need to set up any extra equipment. Now I felt like this could not be true so I asked the bros if in fact he would be bringing EVERYTHING he would need for his presentation. I was reassured again that he would be taking care of his technical needs. [/background info]

So we're waiting for the Shaykh to get there, the seats are slowly filling up and hes a half hour late. Of course hes coming from light years away and a brother from our MSA's father is the one who picked him up so there isnt too much for us to be agitated about since it is our own problem.

When the shaykh finally arrives he gives me a new revelation: He doesnt bring all his own equipment. We didnt set up any microphone or speaker system for him and he is a little blown. Hes not angry, but obviously frustrated by the fact that we dont have everything set up for him to begin. He calmly makes me pee in my pants by saying "no mic, no speech".

Ok so now we're scrambling.

One brother goes running to find a mic and in the meantime we pray Maghrib. I ask the Shaykh if he would lead (since he is arthritic and I didnt know if he would rather sit) so he asked who usually leads and I respond affirmatively so he makes me lead.

I decide to recite ayaat from surah Saff seeing how the verses pretty much answer the question posed in the topic.

"And remember, Moses said to his people: "O my people! why do ye vex and insult me, though ye know that I am the apostle of Allah (sent) to you?" Then when they went wrong, Allah let their hearts go wrong. For Allah guides not those who are rebellious transgressors.

And remember, Jesus, the son of Mary, said: "O Children of Israel! I am the apostle of Allah (sent) to you, confirming the Law (which came) before me, and giving Glad Tidings of an Messenger to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad." But when he came to them with Clear Signs, they said, "this is evident sorcery!"

In sajdah i made sure I made dua for the mic and alhumdulillah by the time we finished the brother got the mic. I told the people to help themselves to refreshments as we set up the A/V equipment and they complied. Of course after people fill their plates with cake I am told that we dont have any spoons. Barrrrrr.

So the talk finally gets under way an hour after its supposed to precluded by me apologizing for the delay and directing everyone to throw their shoes at me by taking the blame for all the problemos.

If you have ever heard Yusuf Estes speak you know that the angle from which he approaches Islam is an angle impossible for us to imitate. He began by commenting on the fact that I had recited ayaat about what Moses and Jesus said to their respective people.

Moses called his people to the oneness of ALLAH. He said that this was the message of those before him as well.

He then went to Jesus PBUH and quoted from the bible left and right proving that the message Jesus brought was actually Islam. Not one place in the bible does it mention the trinity. Not once. Yet the bible says not to call the son of man God. Subhan Allah, this is exactly what trinity'ers do by calling Jesus God. He then went one by one through the different metaphors that are given to describe the trinity and refuted them all. The apple which has skin, flesh and a core. He pointed out the fact that this metaphor always perplexed him since an apple has about 17 seeds in its core. The egg with a shell and flesh and yoke. But what if it has a double yoke? What if its rotten?

He then went on and said that we as muslims do not brainwash our people with ideas that they have to 'believe', we tell people to think. He told the non muslims "I am not telling you what to think, im telling you TO think". Subhan Allah why else does ALLAH swt ask us so many questions in the Quran?

So after his presentation that I gave absolutely no justice in my short synapsis, He entertained questions.

This girl named Allison who had come to Jummah before with her muslimah friend caught Shaykh Yusuf's eye. He pointed out the fact that she had been taking notes as he was talking so he gave her chapter and verse after chapter and verse in the bible for her to study. He asked her if she believed in God. "Yes". He asked her if she believe God was one. "Yes". He exclaimed excitedly, "Thats exactly how I started."

Then another guy named John asked him about salvation, and he asked such a loaded question full of assumptions about ALLAH swt that Shaykh Yusuf took about half an hour just clarifying our position on his assumptions about ALLAH.

John thought that ALLAH demanded for us to be 'Godly'. Shaykh Yusuf dismissed the notion that ALLAH is anything like the creation by going through the asmaa' wassifaat.

John thought that since ALLAH was perfect that it would take a perfect soul to be sacrificed for us to be saved. Shaykh Yusuf clarified to John our stance on repentance being directly to ALLAH and not through the need of any intermediary.

He asked John about the theory of Jesus PBUH 'dying for our sins'. "Why would Jesus continuously say in the bible 'let the cup pass by me' which means that he didnt want to partake in what was going to happen, if this was something that was planned? "Why would Jesus yell out 'God God why have you forsaken me?' if this was a plan?" "Wouldnt he be singing and dancing since mankind would now be saved?"

Subhan Allah I wish i remembered all of the points that Shaykh Yusuf made because they were absolutely brilliant.

After the question answer session John and his wife went up to Shaykh Yusuf and had a conversation with him that the Shaykh described to me as 'Amazing'. After they left he told me that we need to stay in contact with him because he is very close to Islam. He gave me alot of advice as to how we can get more da'wah events that aren't just lectures. Insha Allah we can do em.

So we narrowly avoided disaster and were actually extremely close to having a successfull event. We learned alot about what we need to do to have a successfull event and I pray that this coming Saturday our Eid dinner will be better organized and successful.

May ALLAH preserve Shaykh Yusuf Estes and accept from him all his good deeds and multiply them, and forgive him his bad deeds and make a distance between him and them the distance between the heavens and the earth.

May ALLAH guide Allison, Laura, John and his wife to the truth. No one can be guided except those whom you guide ya ALLAH guide these 4 to the truth.

Ameen

PS: Shaykh Yusuf recorded the event and said that he will most probably use the lecture in an upcoming CD as well as web hosting it on his site. I will keep checking to see if he puts it up and post it here insha Allah.

posted by Iboo LaL @ 1:37 PM Comments: 4

Ramadan Reminiscing...

Subhan Allah, I really miss Ramadan.

I just started getting back into my school work and even though I had exams during Ramadan and I studied for my classes during Ramadan it seems as though I just had a month long break. Im looking at my physics homework and it might as well be advanced mandarin Chinese because it makes little to no sense to me.

I was driving my sister's car and she had the Suhaib Webb Mothers of the Believers in the cd player. Shaykh Suhaib was talking about how in the entire Quran Allah swt did not instruct Muhammed PBUH to ask for increase in anything except one thing. He swt told the prophet PBUH "say: O Lord increase me in knowledge".

There is an old arab proverb that says that that which is written for you will chase you or will come after you in a hurry. Subhan Allah, we live for that which is guaranteed and chase after what is promised to us. Yet we act as if paradise is going to fall in our laps, and knowledge is going to just inhabit our minds without our exerting any effort to gain it.

Imagine the fact that the Prophet of ALLAH was Commanded by ALLAH to pray for increase in knowledge. Where do we stand? We dont know anything compared to the Rasul yet we dont even want to learn the deen. We learn that we can be laymen and we are safe. So instead of learning the deen we let others gain knowledge and we just care about yes's and no's. This isnt what our deen is about.

May ALLAH increase us in knowledge and wisdom and make us the leaders of the muttaqeen. Ameen

posted by Iboo LaL @ 9:14 PM Comments: 1

The Tableeki Man...

So at our uni we have a weekly halaqa on Wednesdays where the Imam of the local Masjid comes and gives a dars. I never can make it to these halaqaat unfortunately because I have a class at the same time. So this past week a brother goes to pick up the Imam and unfortunately he cant make it so he tells the bro to take this one brother with him. The brother who he brings is a hardcore Tableeki Jamaat uncle who was just visiting from Pakistan.

So I walk into the room after my class has ended at the end of the halaqa and as soon as I step in all I hear is this brother asking the kids 'who is going to sacrifice one weekend for Allah?"

I'm thinking to myself 'O God' and I go to the restroom to make wudu hoping that by the time I get out the brother would have finished and people would be lining up for salah.

I was wrong.

I walk out and as soon as I step into the room this uncle confronts me.

"Salama laykuuuum (hugs) what's your name?"
"Ibrahim"
"Ma shalla where are you from?"
"Pakistan"
"Really? What part of Pakistan?"
"Karachi"
"O wow...Have you ever gone for Tableek?"
"Never"
"Why not?"

Now at this point my tongue and brain were no longer working as a team. My brain is saying "ok, this brother has had this conversation like a million times so you have to give him an answer that will shut the conversation down." My tongue had other plans.

"I don't have time."

Now anyone who has been approached by a tableeki uncle knows that the cardinal sin of rejecting Tableek is saying you don't have time. These guys are trained for that answer. They give khutbahs about that answer. So immediately I tried to clarify myself.

"I don't have time for Tableek because I work with other organizations and do work for the deen in other ways."

To the uncle this clarification somehow only clarified the fact that I do not want to do work for the deen.

"So if Muhammad PBUH were to be here today you would tell him you don't have time?"

This infuriated me. This brother is trying to call me out. We are not in private and he is not speaking softly, he is loud and in front of my MSA. This sister in the back realized I was absolutely about to tear this guy apart and she began to shush the uncle because the Mu'atthin began the call for prayer. He complied and said 'after the athan.'

Immediately after the athan the uncle got what he had coming to him.

"You know what your problem is uncle? You for some reason think that if a person isn't working with the Tableeki Jamaat then he isn't working for Islam, when there are scholars who have given other ways to work for the deen here other than going for Tableek."

Now this was supposed to crush this uncles spirits. I was patting myself on the back thinking that I had done something no other person had ever done. I spoke to him with the strength of all those kids who had been too scared to talk back to a the Man. But this guy was not a rookie.

"Oh ok, well...Will you come with us this weekend?"
"What? Look uncle IM not saying that the Tableeki Jamaat is incorrect, and if anyone in the Jamaat needs my help I will help him, but I will not go for Jamaat."
"Ma shalla, well then I need your help."
"What do you need?"
"I need you to come to Jamaat"
"R you serious? No IM not coming for Jamaat."

At this point a Tableeki bro from my campus explained to the uncle what I was saying to him, but I guess he must have used sign language or something because it seemed as though he understood him.

"ma shalla, well then I need your help."
"o..k (very skeptical at this point)"
"Come to isha at the masjid tonight"
"Uncle I don't live around here, and I don't go to this masjid for Isha"
"Well try and come in shalla"
"I will try insha Allah"
"Because I will need your help, I will need your car"
"...?"
"I will need your car so we can go and pick up two other brothers for Jamaat".

At this point this brother had become a joke to me, I laughed it off and we prayed. But subhan Allah I thought to myself, this brother must be getting commission or something. The Tableek is like a pyramid scheme! Each brother he brings for Jamaat must earn him like a loongie and some miswaks.

But may ALLAH preserve this uncle because it is brothers like that who have energy for this deen that get the Tableegh done. If people like him didn't exist, everyone would be passive and lackadaisical when it came to giving Da'wah.

Iboo

posted by Iboo LaL @ 6:20 PM Comments: 7

Khutbah I gave today on campus...

Alhumdulillah, I think the khutbah went well even though my sister reminded me of my wierd pauses while im speaking which makes people think im unsure of what im saying.

Rabbi shrahli sadree wa yasirlee amree, wahlul 'uqdatam milisaani yafqahu qawli.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Brothers and sisters, we as human beings are extremely fragile and sensitive creatures. ALLAH swt describes us in surah al Maaarij…

"Verily Man was created very impatient. Irritated when bad touches us and stingy when good touches us..."

We are stuck between a rock and a hard place. We have something bad happen to us and we are irritated with what has come to us. We feel as though we deserve good always and that we do not deserve any type of test of hardship at all, period. But when good touches us, are we grateful? No, instead we hoard that good, do not want to share that good, and do not even think about thanking ALLAH for bestowing upon us that good, we feel as though it is our right to have this good happen to us.

We fill ourselves with pride and arrogance thinking that we can act any way we want, do anything we want to do regardless of its permissibility in Islam, and we consider ourselves self sufficient when it comes to our well beings. If this is how we think then know that we are lying to ourselves.

No human on earth has the right nor the ability to come up with a routine and formula for the salvation of any soul. No human can claim to have come up with the correct methodology of perfecting ones self, Only the creator of mankind and the owner of the souls has the right to command us as to what we need to do if wish for our souls to be safe in the hear after.

Many of us find ourselves extremely weak when we try and confront our vices. We feel helpless sometimes to our desires, we pray for ALLAH to guide us and to help us but many times all we do is ask and we do not take the proper steps to find that answer. Brothers and sisters, ALLAH swt has given us the key to our salvation in both this life and the hear after. He has told us exactly what we need to do if we wish to be in control of ourselves.

If you were to approach almost any scholar of Islam about an issue you are having. Whether its doubts in your belief, difficulty in performing obligatory acts or controlling your desires, the majority of the time the first question that is asked to you is how is your salah? Are you praying consistently? This is because the prayer is the medicine for our sicknesses and the remedy for the diseases of the heart.

ALLAH continues in surah Maarij…

“Verily Man was created very impatient. Irritable when evil touches him, and stingy when good touches him…Except those who are devoted to Salaah. Those who remain constant in their salaah."

It is our prayer and our consistency in prayer that protects our souls and allows us to have control over our desires.

The commandment of prayer is a commandment unlike any other commandment given to us by ALLAH swt. Even its revelation to us was different and was given a higher status than the other commandments of ALLAH swt. ALLAH swt commanded us to fast in the Quran, commanded us to make Jihad in the Quran, prohibited gambling and drinking alcohol in the Quran, but the commandment to pray was different. All these other commandments were sent through Jibreel as and then to Muhammed PBUH, but the commandment for prayer was given directly to Muhammed PBUH from ALLAH swt personally. When Muhammed PBUH went on al Israa’ wal Mi’raaj and was allowed to be closer to ALLAH swt than any other creation including Angel Jibreel, ALLAH swt gave him the commandment of prayer.

The amount of prayers given to Muhammed PBUH initially were not 5 but were 50. Can you imagine us having to make 50 prayers a day? When Muhammed PBUH was given this commandment he took it and as he descended Prophet Musa as saw him and after finding that 50 prayers had been prescribed upon us, he told prophet Muhammed to go back and to have the amount reduced because he knew we couldn’t handle it. So prophet Muhammed PBUH went back. It was reduced to 45 and Musa still said go back. 40, 35, 30…it kept on being reduced until it was 5. Still prophet Musa told Muhammed PBUH to go back because he felt we still wouldn’t be able to handle that amount. Muhammed PBUH told Musa as that he was too shy to go back again, but subhan Allah Musa was right. 5 prayers is still too much on our ummah as many of us are still neglecting to pray our 5 prayers daily.


Verily brothers and sisters, it is our salah that separates us from the non muslims. Muhammed PBUH said [paraphrase] "The difference between a muslim and a non muslim is the Salah."If a muslim denies the obligation to make the daily prayers, he is not only committing a major sin but he is taking himself out of Islam.

ALLAH says in the Quran...

"(The people of Paradise will ask the people of Hell): 'What caused you to enter the Hellfire?' They will say: 'We were not among those who used to pray." [Surah Al-Mudaththir: 42-53]

On the day of judgement the absolute first thing that will be judged of ours will be our prayers.

The Messenger (S.A.W.) told us in an authentic hadith , “The first thing the people will be accountable for on the Day of Judgment is prayer, Allah will say to His angels (even though he already knows) : “Look at my servants prayers. Were they complete or not?” If they were complete It will be written as complete. If they were not fully complete Allah will say: “See if my servant has voluntary prayers, If he has them Allah will say: Complete his obligatory prayers shortage with his voluntary prayers.” Then the rest of his deeds will be dealt with in the same manner.” {Reported by Imams Ahmad, Abu Dawood, An-Nisa'i, and Al-Hakim}

None of the remainder of our deeds even matter if our salah is not complete. ALLAH swt will not even judge us further if our prayer is incomplete for this is the gateway to paradise.

If we knew the benefits of salaah and the rewards of salah, there would be absolutely no reason why we would not be constant in our performing our salaah.

Abu Huraira (radhiallahu anhu) states that he heard the Holy Prophet (salallahu alayhi wa salam) say: “Suppose if one of you had a running canal at his door and takes bath in it five times every day, then would any dirt be left on his person? The companions submitted: In such a case no dirt would be left on his person. The Holy Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam remarked “similar is the case of the five obligatory prayers. Allah remits all sins in consideration of these prayers.”

Imagine the mercy of ALLAH swt! Our Lord is so merciful that the sins we commit between our prayers are erased by our prayers themselves. If we are constant in our prayers, is there then any way that we would not go to sleep every night sinless?

In surah al Muminoon ALLAH swt describes His believing servants in 11 ayaat. He swt begins the description of them with the prayer and He ends His description of them with the prayer.

Allah says: "Successful indeed are the believers. Those who are attentive in their prayer. And those who turn away from vain and false speech. And those who give their due Zakaat. And those who guard their private parts - except with their wives or those whom their right hands possess, for they are not to blame in that. But whoever seeks beyond that, then they are the transgressors. And those who guard and keep to their trusts and covenants. And those who guard their prayers. They are the inheritors - the ones who will inherit Firdaws (highest level in Paradise), in which they will reside forever." [Surah Al-Mu'minoon: 1-11]

It is our prayer that is the defining characteristic of belief. How can we possibly claim to have belief if we don’t even pray 5 times a day? Many people nowadays feel that a person is ‘religious’ if he prays 5 times a day. The 5 times a day prayer is the most basic of foundations of belief and is the starting point of Iman.

Brothers and sisters to have a pure intention and desire to pray is not enough by itself. We cant think that we love ALLAH and want to pray to him so we just stand up and do whatever we think is prayer. We know this from the story of the companion who came and prayed, and after his prayer he went to the prophet PBUH and gave him salaams. The prophet said “Go back and pray for you have not prayed.” This was even though this companion did what he thought was prayer!

Subhan Allah brothers and sisters, the description of this man’s prayer is similar to the prayers that many of us perform on a day to day basis. The companion was not just clapping and doing jumping jacks or something. The companion was rushing through his actions of salaah. He made a very fast bow, he didn’t wait in the ruku’ for too long before he rose and then he made a swift sujood. Is this not how many of us pray every day? Yet Muhammed PBUH didn’t tell the companion to go back and pray better, he PBUH told him to go back for he has not prayed, meaning what he has done is not prayer. This companion had a good intention, yet what he did was not considered prayer because it was not in accordance with the definition of prayer given to us by Muhammed PBUH. Prayer starts with a good intention, and then the next step is the gain the knowledge of how to correctly pray.

If a person wants to worship ALLAH, he can not just say ‘ok, this is how im going to worship ALLAH’. NO! It is only ALLAH who can tell us what it is that we need to do to be worshipping him.

Our daily prayers are what strengthen our imaan, allow us to have control over our desires, and fill us with love for obeying ALLAH’s command. Think about this. Throughout our day, we do with our bodies almost anything we want. Our actions are not limited except for a few things, and other than that we can pretty much go about our day doing as we wish. Yet when we stand for prayer, and we make the opening takbeer, we limit our body’s actions to only that which ALLAH has allowed us to do. During the normal day everything is permissible except that which is specifically made prohibited, but in prayer it is the exact opposite. Everything is prohibited EXCEPT that which is made permissible. Is this not the greatest of subconscious training for us to obey ALLAH! Surely ALLAH swt is the all knower and all seer.

Aqoolu qawli hadha, wastaghfirullah lee walakum, fastaghfiroohu yaghfirlakum, innallaha ghafoorur raheem.

Alhumdulillah, wassalaatu wassalaam ‘aala rasulillah, wa ‘aala aalihee wa sahbihee ajmaeen.

Brothers and sisters, yesterday we just ended the greatest month of all months of the year. In this month we prohibited ourselves from more things than are prohibited for us throughout the year. Many people will say that we ‘starved’ ourselves this month, when to me it is exactly the opposite. 11 months of the year we starve ourselves and this month we feed ourselves more than we do the rest of the year. 11 months of the year we feed ourselves physically and neglect our soul. We are worried more about our physical cavity than we are about that which this cavity holds. But for one month, we neglect our physical body feeding it only that which it needs to operate, and we binge on food for our souls.

In this month we pray more than we pray any other time of the year. Can you imagine if we stood up throughout the year in prayer during the night like we do in Ramadan what kind of people we would be?

Many of us give ourselves absolutely no credit in the good that we accomplish during the month. Instead we say ‘aww man shaytaan was locked up and that’s how I was able to do good, and now that hes back im doomed.’ This is not the right attitude, for it is our dutifulness to ALLAH that allowed us to have this huge boost in Iman during Ramadan.

Our consistency in prayer will keep us happy and satisfied with whatever happens to us in this world. When some evil touches us, we will remember ALLAH and ask for forgiveness for our sins and strength in handling the hardship. And when good touches us we will be thankful to ALLAH and we will worship ALLAH even more because we know that it is ALLAH who blessed this good upon us.

The Sahaba of Muhammed PBUH ibn Zubayr ra had a disease in his body that required his foot to be ampuated. He told the surgeons not to give him anything to numb him, but to take his leg as he was praying. Subhan Allah, we can not even imagine the type of khushu' this companion had as he transcended his physical body and was in another world in his salah. The same day that his foot was amputated, one of his seven sons fell off the roof and died. Companions came to visit ibn Zubayr and said that they didnt know if they should give him condolences on his foot or his son. Ibn Zubayr said "I have many limbs and ALLAH only took one, and I have 7 sons and ALLAH only took one."

Subhan Allah, this companion was content with anything that ALLAH gave him. If anything bad comes to us we should be happy and realize that this is an expiation of our sins. And if anything good comes to us we should realize that this might be a test and we must be grateful for this good and thank ALLAH for it.

Consistency in our prayer will be what strengthens us enough to carry on with the commandments of ALLAH swt. Many of us have trouble implementing ALLAH’s laws in our lives and we find it difficult to do certain things required of us. These things brothers and sisters will be welcomed by us if we are consistent in our salah. These commandments are fruits on the tree of Iman which is firmly rooted in Salah. The salah purifies our souls to the point where we will love to do what is good and hate to do what is evil. Sisters having trouble with wearing hijab, this hijab will be a fruit on your tree of iman. Brothers having trouble quitting smoking, quitting will be a fruit on your iman tree. Consistency in the prayer is what allows us to overcome our vices and to be pure in our worship of ALLAH swt.

Finally brothers and sisters, the salah instills in us the taqwa of ALLAH swt. The word salaah itself comes from the root word which means to connect. We connect with ALLAH every time we pray, and this increases us in love for ALLAH and God consciousness.

A scholar once said “It is impossible to know ALLAH but that you love him, and it is impossible to love him but that you do not remember him, and it is impossible that you remember him but that he forgives you, and it is impossible that he forgives you but that He loves you.”

How can any claim to love ALLAH, but that they worship him the way that he has instructed us to worship him?

May ALLAH make us among those who worship him in the correct way
May ALLAH increase in us the taqwa of ALLAH
May ALLAH make us among those whom He loves
May ALLAH instill in us the love for salah, and the knowledge of it

Rabbanatina fiddunya hassana, wa fil akhirati hassana, wa qina adhaaban nar
Rabbana la taj’alna fitnatal lil ladheena kafaru waghfir lana rabbana, innaka antal azeezul hakeem
Rabighfirlee wa li walidayya wa liman dakhala baytiya muminaa, wa lil mumineena wal muminaat, wa la tazididhaalimeena illa tabara

posted by Iboo LaL @ 1:22 PM Comments: 1

The Eid Post

Eid Mubarak everyone (even though i am almost certain no one will read this anytime soon).

I was reflecting on something and i figured what better place than this vent my frustration.

Now my masjid decided to begin fasting on Teusday. Not because we follow Saudi or anything, but because the Imam of our masjid decided that we follow the opinion of the moon being sighted anywhere in the world for the begining of Ramadan and not the opinion of sighting in your locality. Both opinions are valid but it seems this year that everybody and their momma decided to fast Wednesday and that we were almost on our own in our decision. As much as I wanted to fast on Wednesday with the rest of the country, I decided that it would be best to stay together with my community and keep some sort of uniformity. This opinion of mine unfortunately was not shared by my parents who decided that they would fast on Wednesday and not Teusday like our local community walhumdulillah.

It wasnt an issue then that i fasted different than everyone else in my household, yet when Eid comes all of a sudden its an issue.

"So why did they start a day before everyone else in the world?" Im asked.
"Are you asking me about something that happened a month ago? Something that has already been thoroughly explained?"
"I dont want you to go to Eid with them. I want you to pray with the family."
"Dont worry, im going to pray both Eids"
"You cant pray both Eids!"

wa bil walidayni ihsaana...

Then shortly after this conversation, Lo and behold, we are having Eid on the same day! Takbeeeer! Im guessing we will be having a joyous celebration as both opinions are agreeing on the day for Eid! No deal. My rents instead decide to rub it in my face the fact that they SAW the moon and we didnt etc etc etc. Im thinking to myself: Subhan Allah, is this what fiqi is for? Is the reason for educated difference in opinion so that we can do a touchdown dance everytime we 'score' with our fiqi?

Imam Shafi ra said that when he had a debate, he WISHED that the truth be spoken on the other person's lips. Is that not the purpose of 'debating' anyway? Shouldnt we not be meeting with the intentions of getting to the truth for the salvation of both parties? Is it not arrogance and pride that we are trying to eliminate by intending to come to a truth through dialogue with someone who might be righter than we are?

May ALLAH guide our hearts, minds, tongues, and actions towards that which is correct and make us among the mukhliseen...ameen

Iboo

posted by Iboo LaL @ 11:14 PM Comments: 2

Officially Given in

bismillah hirrahman nirraheem

I've been avoiding this day for so long. Many a night has gone by in which I have had profound reflections, beautiful mental masterpieces painted by my abstract thoughts, only to wake up and find these pieces of art missing leaving me with a blank canvas to start this cycle once again.

By the mercy of ALLAH i have finally gotten a chance to start what should insha Allah be a well kept consistently updated (im sure im not the first to promise that) glimpse into the inner workings of my mind. I ask that you not take offense to anything i write but that you make dua for ALLAH to guide my mind to that which is correct and fill me with ilm un nafiyaa. Ameen.

Iboo

posted by Iboo LaL @ 11:05 PM Comments: 0