Farewell Isoc and Ramadhaan Mubarak!!!

Assalamu ‘Alaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh,

Dearest and most beloved brothers and sisters, may Allah the Most Merciful shower His grace upon you with abundance and comfort you with His Mercy and Benevolence.

I would like to take this opportunity to greet you, to congratulate you on the advent of a blessed Ramadan, to make my sincere dua for you, to express my deepest friendship and love for you and my sincere care and support for all of you. I make a sincere dua to Allah alone that He makes this month a means to ease your worries, that He replaces it with goodness and transforms your world into a Jannah in this life. May Allah give you what your heart desires and amaze you with His bounty and grace.

Alhamdulillah, as they say all good things comes to an end and the time has now come for me to resign from the blog and the Isoc. Alhamdulillah, it was Allah who enabled me to take part as an author on the blog and to be part of a really great and blessed Isoc. I’d like to say a sincere Jazakumullahu Khairan to everyone, especially the Isoc Members, particularly our beloved headbrother and headsister for making a positive influence in our lives. I truly cannot thank you enough for your generosity and the hard work and effort you have put in establishing an amazing Islamic Society for all of us. May your hard work weigh heavily on the scale of good deeds for all those who contributed to the Isoc in any way, Ameen Thuma Ameen.

These two years have truly been amazing for me. We’ve come a great way and achieved a lot of success both as students and a Society as a whole. So much has happened in these two years, I don’t even know where to start (this is the part you realize this is going to be a long post). I’m just kidding; I won’t give guys another one of my long posts. I’d just like to take this opportunity, since I won’t be seeing you guys anymore, to offer some small advice to the new A2 Students.

One of the great things about having an Islamic Society, apart from having a place to pray, is that it’s a place where you can escape to and meet people of the same beliefs as you when you’re surrounded with every type of fitnah around the campus. This makes you realize how truly blessed we are to have an Isoc, because without it, only Allah truly knows how much our Imaan would have been effected through college life. This is why it’s so important to create an Islamic environment within the campus and call all the Muslim Brothers and Sisters to join the Isoc.

This can start off by making the Islamic Society look and feel like an organisation or student body which means something. Group together as one - put aside differences and work on commonalities. Know that we are more alike than we are different! And this is because of the Bond of Islam. The Bond of Islam is stronger than the bond of blood relation. Also, create an environment in the prayer rooms (let’s pray you guys get a proper prayer room this year InshaAllah) whereby people can chill out. A relaxed area where students can come, do their work, pray, eat, make new friends, etc. This will then mean that a bond of brotherhood and sisterhood is created.

Again I want to stress the part of calling newbies to join the Isoc. You really truly have to be a good example and portray the beauty of Islam through your good behaviour because when people are thinking of joining the Isoc, they’re scared. They think they’re going to be judged. It’s something I’ve noticed. The niqabi thinks the Isoc will think she’s too hardcore. The nonhijabi thinks the Isoc will think she doesn’t belong there. The hijabi who wears jeans will think all the jilbabis are going to judge her, etc etc. So what to do??

This again, is going to seem like common sense–but I’ve observed people: people don’t do this!! —Just smile and say salaam!—to everyone. People for some reason think they should only salaam their friends. This makes the newcomers feel totally outcasted. And most of the time, they’re not thinking that you’re not salaam-ing them because you guys aren’t friends but rather because they’re “not hijabi, not jilbabi, full niqabi, etc etc.” And then that’s it. They tried it out, no one gave them salaam, so Goodbye Isoc!

People don’t realize the seriousness of such a small action. And I’m not talking about only at Isoc events. Some people won’t come to the events. They’ll just observe the Isoc members on campus. They’ll notice that you never salaam them or smile at them, and they’ll already feel judged.

I’ve heard some people say they don’t like salaam-ing new people because a lot of times that person will ignore them, or look at them like “Do I know you?” Ok. That’s sad, I agree. But! Is the reason you’re salaam-ing them because you want a response? Or is it fisabilillah? And isn’t it almost an act of arrogance to think you deserve a response? Maybe you’re not worthy of a response. Give salaams. If you don’t get a response, smile and walk away. If you see the person again, Give salaams again. The third time, maybe try and start a conversation: “Hey, assalaamu alaykum! I’ve seen you around college a couple of times, and wanted to meet you. You’re the mysterious sister running around who I don’t know! I’m [fill in name here]”

Chances are, you’ll realize the person’s not half bad. And if they still don’t respond, Hey – you did your part right? ;) And you got reward for it InshaAllah. Next time you see them, smile and say salaam again. Don’t be so full of pride.

And you know what else? It’s great da’wah too. Sometimes I’d be walking with my non-muslim friends, and a sister would smile at me and we’d exchange salaams. My friends would ask me if we knew each other, and I’d tell them we didn’t. “That’s so beautiful”, they’d remark. It showed them the unity of the Muslims. Alhamdulillah.

Speaking of da’wah, this brings me to my next point. Alhamdulillah, Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world and this has only been achieved by Muslims giving da’wah, whether verbally or non-verbally. These days, us youth don’t realize the importance of giving da’wah to non-muslims and calling them to the path of Islam. I’ll admit, even am scared of approaching non-muslims and speaking to them about Islam. But one thing encouraged me and I hope it encourages you guys to do the same InshaAllah.

It just so happened that the teacher of the Islamic Studies course I was doing this summer happened to be a Revert. He just finished his studies and graduated from Madinah University after studying there for seven years. You wanna know how he reverted to Islam?? He reverted from Christianity in his second year at Leyton Sixth Form all because a brother came and sat next to him and asked him what he knew about Islam. He basically told us that he didn’t know jack about Islam and thought we were all Hindus. So the brother told him a bit about Islam and everything made sense to him so he requested a copy of the Qur’aan and said he would look into it. He went home and started to read the Qur’aan and compared the Bible with it and found out that everything in the Qur’aan was true and made sense whereas the Bible was the other way around. After that he declared his Shahadah and he told the brother that he wants to study more about Islam so I think the brother helped him in applying to Madinah University after he finished his college studies. He got a Scholarship, moved to Madinah, studied Arabic for 3years and then Shariah for another 4 yrs and Voila, he’s now MashaAllah a very knowledgeable brother and is teaching Arabic and Islamic Studies (inc Uloom ul Quran, Uloom ul Hadith, Fiqh and Usool and Shariah). He’s MashaAllah a very good teacher and if anyone is thinking of studying Arabic or Islamic Studies I would definitely recommend him.

Now going back to the topic of da’wah, can you just imagine the rewards that this brother must be receiving for presenting Islam to this revert? Not only did he receive the reward for making him a Muslim but also the ongoing reward for all the good deeds that he does. SubhanAllah if that doesn’t encourage us to do the same then I don’t know what will. May Allah give us all the ability to fulfill our obligations in doing da’wah and calling others to Allah’s Path, Ameen.

One of the ayaahs about Ramadan:

‘O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may gain God-consciousness.’ (Qur'an 2:183)

One lesson we can take out of this is that Ramadan and fasting is something that connects us to other faiths... i.e, a great opportunity to start giving da’wah. :)

Wow, SubhanAllah this has turned into a long post, I told you guys it’s a habit that I can’t help. I didn’t even talk about Ramadan and how we can truly maximise our Ibadah during this month. Khair InshaAllah I’m sure we’ll be hearing loads of talks regarding this anyways in this month so I’ll just mention a single point of benefit. Know that Ramadan is not a singled-out month of worship and taqwa. It is to IMPROVE ourselves, to come out as better Muslims with better characters and to ask for forgiveness for our shortcomings of the past eleven months. Ramadan comes only once a year; therefore, we should host it in the best possible way and take advantage to reap its rewards. If you don't make the best of the opportunity of Ramadan, you are truly DEPRIVED.

I ask that those who read this to forgive me if I’ve ever wronged you or offended you in any way. Please forgive my shortcomings and I humbly request to all that read this to make a sincere dua for me when breaking your fast, since the fasting person’s supplications are not rejected. Specific request are that Allah forgive all my sins, grant me taqwa and increase me in sabr and for Allah to aid me in my studies of both the dunya knowledge and the akhirah knowledge. InshaAllah you will all be in my duas.

O Allah make us and all Muslims of those who fast and stand in prayer during the month of Ramadan based on belief and truly seeking Your reward so that we are forgiven our past and future sins.

O Allah make us of those who fasted the month, attained full reward, witnessed Layatul-Qadr and attained success by permission of the Lord, Blessed and Most High.

O Allah, verily you are Forgiver, like to forgive, so forgive us.

O Lord, accept from us, verily you are the All-Hearing, All-Seeing, O Living, O Independent, O Owner of all majesty and honor.

And may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon Muhammad, his family and his Companions.

Wassalamu Alaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh

How do I Know if I am Sincere?

How do I know if I am sincere? I asked this question way back in September 2004 to some of the students of knowledge, the late Shaykh, Dr. Saleh as-Saleh (rahimahullaah) and my good friend, Mu’tasim al-Hameedee.

I was not able to catch all the points of benefit that Shaykh Saleh as-Saleh mentioned, but I will try my best to paraphrase what I managed to take of notes:

He said that his Shaykh, Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (rahimahullaah) said that: We should always be checking ourselves and asking: “Did I really do that for Allaah?” He said that we should make the du’aa where we ask Allaah (subhaanahu wa Ta’aala) to protect us from falling into shirk (and of course doing an act for other than Allaah is shirk) and that we should seek forgiveness often. He continued by saying that shaytaan is always trying to corrupt our intention and trying to take away from its purity. He then went on to say that the Salaf used to say that they found nothing more intense then striving to be sincere. He closed by saying that when you find yourself having an inclination to read the Qur’aan and seek (beneficial) knowledge then this is a sign of there being sincerity in ones actions.

Br. Mu’tasim al-Hameedee said (to paraphrase):

That there is no meter that we can attach to our heart or our body to give a reading, and that everyone knows in himself what he is doing and why he is doing it, and everyone is a proof against himself or on behalf of himself. You know when you are doing an action whether you are doing it for the sake of Allaah or for the sake of showing off, you know it in your heart, and it is not something that has to be learnt, it is something from our fitrah and we are created with this sense and we know ourselves if we are doing what we are doing for Allaah or for the people.

Some of the righteous predecessors mentioned some signs, and they where that if you find yourself more active in worship when you are in front of others and that you do not have the same zeal or strength in worship when you are by yourself then this is a sign that there is something wrong with your intention, and this is a sign you are doing it for the sake of the people, maybe not completely for the people, but at the least there is some deficiency in your intention.

There is a story about a man who was fasting, and this man used to pray very quickly at home, but on this day, the day he was fasting he went to the masjid and he prayed and the people were saying what an excellent prayer he is praying, so he turned around in his prayer and said to them: “I am fasting today too!”

The Muslim is always struggling with his intention, shaytaan will always come and try to corrupt that intention, so always have in mind that I am doing it for the sake of Allaah because Allaah ordered me to and I hope to get reward for it.

So be warned - Brother and Sister Muslim - that no action is acceptable to Allaah if somebody else is given a share in it. Reflect carefully upon the words of Yoosuf bin al Hussain ar-Raazee: "Indeed the hardest thing (to achieve) in this world is Ikhlaas. How many times have I struggled to extinguish riyaa (showing off) from my heart except that it only appeared again in a different colour" [1]

Also reflect upon the words narrated by Ibn Qudaamah al-Maqdisee in his [Mukhtasir Minhaaj il-Qaasideen] "Indeed mankind, all of them, are destroyed except those with knowledge and all those with knowledge are destroyed except those who act upon it and all those who act are destroyed except those who are sincere in their action and all those who are sincere are in great danger (of associating other than Allaah in their actions)". [2]

1 [Jaami ul-Uloom wal-Hikam] of Ibn Rajab al-Hanbalee
2 [Mukhtasir Minhaaj il- Qaasideen] of Ibn Qudaamah al-Maqdisee

Notes taken by Aboo Uthmaan

Those That are Truly Pious

The truly pious sisters never do anything to ever jeopardize their haya

The truly pious sisters have a deep attachment to salah

They have noor dripping from their faces

They are never to be found in all the wrong places

The truly pious sisters are always glowing

They are not the ones that have all their limbs showing

Rather they are those that wear abayas loose and flowing

And when they are tested by Allah they increase their ibadah and keep going

They are mindful of their speech and never engage in idle talk

And they are not amongst those that wish to be noticed when they walk

They are those that have 'ilm and are constantly seeking

They have the best adab, ahklaq and manner of speaking

Just like the truly pious sisters there are only a few truly pious brothers

And the truly pious brothers take care of their sisters and mothers

The truly pious brothers have exemplary ahklaq

Pants rolled above the ankle and carrying a miswak

The truly pious brother is cautious about violating others rights

And you can hear his attachment to the Quran with every Surah he recites

His forehead has the mark that only one can get from praying tahajjud every night

Noor eminates from him, and every strand of his beard twinkles like a light

And if the time comes to fight, then he will not take flight

He will enter the battlefield strong just like a knight

The truly pious brother makes dua to Allah for his enemies to be guided

And doesn’t incite hatred towards other Muslims, lest we become more divided

The truly pious brother’s eyes are always looking toward the ground
Lowering the gaze because non-mahram women are around

He never insults or curses anyone, and never wastes time

He’s always just with others and keeps his nafs in line

The truly pious brother is always trying to learn more in the deen

Traveling for the sake of 'ilm is a regular routine

The truly pious brother is always making istighfaar for the sins that he may or may not have done.

And he is not the lazy, depressed or pessimistic one

The truly pious brother loves for his brother what he loves for himself

He is never satisfied with his condition, so he is always improving himself

And you will find that the truly pious sisters have sabr and complete tawakkul in Allah

And the truly pious brother has devoted himself to seeking the pleasure of Allah

And you will find that those that are truly pious are like the scent of perfume in the air

To the average Muslim, they just don’t compare

They are like precious jewels that are extremely rare

Remaining in their pure form because they are unfit to wear

So if you want to marry from amongst those that are truly pious, then be worthy and not obsceneAnd don’t waste your time looking for them in places that they would never dare to be seen

You would never go to a swamp to discover a pearl

Unless instead of a pious woman you want a cover girl

And if you think that you can go to a garbage dump in search of diamonds

Then that is because you’re looking for Cubic Zirconia, and not those that are truly pious

Poem by Naimah Abraham

THE ADULTERY...OF THE EYES!!! ...

THE ADULTERY OF THE EYES!!!

Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim.
In the name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful.

Assalaamulaikum Warahmatulahi Wabarkatahu dear respected brothers and sisters.

“Tell the believing men to lower their gaze, and protect their private parts. That is purer for them. Verily! Allah is All-Aware of what they do.
And tell the believing women to lower their gaze, and protect their private parts and not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent…”
[Surah An-Nur 24:30-31]

Alhumdulilah, college break is here, exam results are out of the way, Allah Subhana Wa’talaa has blessed us with hot summer days, and naturally one wants to go out and have fun, so one calls up the brothers/sisters, they set a date, that day comes, so they are all preparing for the day ahead, finding nice clothes to wear, brothers combing their beards/or sisters fixing that lose bit of Hijaab, brothers drowning themselves in Atr, Sisters trying to find matching accessories to their Hijaab trying to find that lost hand bag that matches so perfectly with that green scarf, she can’t find it so she has to change into another Hijaab.

Once all ready, one gets ready to leave the house, giving their love and salaam to their parents and siblings, but as one opens the door and get ready to leave, before our eyes we see a wave of indecency, which is not accepted by the Islamic dress code.

One cannot help but look either intentionally or unintentionally, so SubhanAllah, what can one do???
One can’t just barricade themselves in their bedroom and take refuge under the bed, (where the sister finally finds that lost bag/and brothers find all their empty bottles of Atr)!!

One may question, how is the adultery of the eyes defined?

Abu Hurairah Radi Allahu Anhu narrated that the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam said “…the adultery of the eyes is looking (at [that] which is not allowed)…”
[Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

One maybe thinking, it’s only one look, what can one look do?
Indeed brothers and sisters it all begins with a lustful glance. This one glance leads to lustful talk and flirting, then meeting, then becoming “an item”, and I am sure we are all well aware of what comes next.
In his Hadith, Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam says “And the eyes commit zina (adultery). Their Zina is gazing.”
So that’s the harm it does, that one look, that one look is the zina of the eyes, the adultery of the eyes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also, on the authority of Jarair Radi Allahu Anhu, who said: “I asked the Messenger of Allah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam about the sudden glance (that is cast) on the face (of a non-Mahram). He commanded me that I should turn away my eyes.”
[Reported by Muslim]

Furthermore, Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam said to Ali Radi Allahu Anhu: “Ali! Do not look once after another, for the first look is for you (since it happens accidentally) while the second is against you.”

A Muslim/Muslimah is decent and pure, therefore it means all of his/her body must be decent and pure, and a natural consequence of this is lowering of the gaze.
Allah Azza Wa Jall says in the Qur’an:

“O you who believe! Do not follow Satan’s footsteps: If any will follow the footsteps of Satan, he will command what is shameful and wrong…”
[Surah An-Nur 24:21]

And indeed, looking at another man/woman after Allah and His Messenger Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam have said it is wrong and evil, to do it is a shameful and wrong act.

Indeed one must not submit to his/her desires; instead remember the beautiful words of Allah, and His clear warnings:

“Do not go near fornication and adultery, it is an abomination and an evil way.”
[Surah Al-Israa’:32]

Remember, brothers and sisters that when one of us lowers our gaze, it is a good deed and Allah has promised a ten-fold reward for good deeds, so lets strive for these good deeds, these tiny acts of obedience which seem small now, but will make a huge difference, where it counts; in the Akhirah, when our scale of good and bad deeds will be measured!

“He that does good shall have ten times as much to his credit:
He that does evil shall only be recompensed according to his evil:
And no wrong shall be done unto (any of) them.”
[Surah Al-An’ am 6:160]

&

“So whosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom, shall see it,
And whosoever does evil equal to the weight of an atom, shall see it.”
[Surah Az-Zalzalah: 7-8]

Whilst preparing this post, a sister recommended a site where a post was put up, InshAllah the author makes some excellent points:
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Are we going beyond the limits without realizing it?
By Sikander Ziad Hashmi,

A few weeks ago, Montreal hosted the F1 Canadian Grand Prix. That weekend, my parents and I were heading west on the highway, and many of the race fans who had come from out of town were sharing the roads with us on their way back home.

One thing really caught my attention, more than anything else: almost every single one of these race fans was driving extremely fast and was zipping by us, as if they themselves were race drivers competing in a F1 race.
I found this to be interesting because here were the race fans, after only a few hours at the race track, already acting like F1 drivers. The point being that only a few hours in the racing environment (without even actually racing) had such a profound effect on them that its effect was shown in their actions.

By just being around racers, driving around 300km/h, driving fast had become a second nature for these fans.
This clearly shows the potential effects that the environment can have on a person’s thinking as well as actions.

We all know that we are members of a decaying society. Morality, decency, modesty, and the sense of shame are in a freefall, and things are progressively getting worse.

All this is very evident. It’s not hard to tell, especially in the summer. Just head downtown and you’ll notice the billboards on the highway, take a stroll at the mall, watch a few commercials on TV, take in a movie or two, and you’ll be faced with stuff that’s nowhere near being decent or modest.

So basically, indecency and immorality are rampant these days. And the worst part? We live in the midst of it, and are faced with this stuff day-in, day-out.

Unfortunately, the environment around us is bound to have some sort of effect on us. Just like on those race fans after the Grand Prix, we can easily become immune to indecency and immodesty, and used to seeing it all.

In fact, it IS so easy to get used to, and that’s extremely dangerous, because all this indecency and immodesty is clearly against the moral fabric of Islam. After all, modesty is a branch of faith.

Abu Hurairah Radi Allahu anhu narrated that the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam said: “Imaan has over seventy branches, and modesty is a branch of Islam.”
[Reported by Muslim]

Sa’eed Ibn Abu Hasan said to Hasan Radi Allahu Anhuma: “the non-Arab women bare their chests and heads (so what should I do)? The Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam said: “Turn away your eyes.”
[Reported by Al-Bukhari]

The danger is we can easily become accustomed to this haraam that we don’t realize that we are seeing something forbidden, and as a result, we knowingly go and see things we clearly shouldn’t be seeing.

So before we walk into a movie theatre, attend that social function, gaze at those billboards, flip through that magazine, chill at the beach, surf the net, or spend an evening in front of the TV, lets try to make a moment to ask ourselves, ‘are we going beyond the limits without even realizing it?’
--------This article may be reproduced on other sites freely, provided it is left intact in its entirety, and the leading "sunniforum.com" tag is NOT removed.------
Dear brothers and sisters, lowering the gaze does not mean keeping our eyes constantly glued to the ground and not looking up at all, so the next thing you know you’ve bashed your head into a street lamp post!!!
Lowering your gaze doesn’t even mean to make one anti-social, it is merely turning our faces away when we see a less-than-decently dressed woman or man walking the streets or wherever we may be, which is so much more common in the summer months.

One common mistake people make is to think that lowering the gaze is only required when one has encountered nakedness or indecency “in the flesh” or in person. No brothers and sisters, lowering the gaze must also be practiced when watching a film or television program consumed with nakedness, indecency and intimate scenes of couples, or when one feels attracted to someone on the TV, so this includes when Pamela Anderson is doing her Baywatch run, and one thinks ‘I want my wife with a figure like that’ or when an attractive Sheikh comes on the TV and one thinks ‘yeah I want a brother like that to get marred to!’

And my last advice brothers and sisters, is avoid going to places of such lewdness and indecency such as the beaches where all you’ll find is women in bikinis and guys in swimming trunks, lowering your gaze in such a place is IMPOSSIBLE!!!
The same goes for parks, where everyone is baring all and sitting out in the sun for a sun tan, this doesn’t mean never step foot in the park, just goes on days that are cooler or go later on in the day, when the peak time for sunbathing is gone.

Brothers and sisters do not put yourself in such situations by your own hand!!! And finally seek refuge in Allah Subhana Wa’talaa from such places and continuously make du’a!!!

Before leaving I would like to share with you 2 very small articles, but have a big impact!!!
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‘If a person casts lustful glances at a non-Mahram person then this feeling of momentary satisfaction is limited and restricted. Whilst if one protects his glances, one will feel the sweetness of Imaan and this feeling is eternal. And those that cast evil glances feel regret and sorrow for minutes and hours on end:
- For the religious minded: they will regret that they disobeyed Allah’s command.
- For the lustful and immoral: they feel down because they desire for such a thing that they know they’ll never get, and this feeling of despair and frustration hurts them.
http://shaykh.wordpress.com/?s=gazing
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Once, on a hot summer’s day, a few students were counting a big pile of sadaqah money, when Sheikh walked into the room. After uttering a few words of praise, he said-in Urdu-Shall I not tell you a great remedy to cure the evil gaze?

When counting this money, does any of you feel any desirous joy? Obviously not, because you all know that this money does not belong to you. In the same way, when our gaze falls upon a non-Mahram woman (or man) outside we should think that, ‘the person I am unlawfully gazing at does not belong to me,’ doing this should kill our momentary pleasure, resulting in dislike for our evil actions in the future.
http://shaykh.wordpress.com/2006/07/25/remedy-an-evil-gaze/#more-149
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May Allah Subhana Wa’talaa enable us to implement upon this tiny bit of Ilm in our lives and help others to do the same, Ameen! X

Keep the Ummah in your dua’s,

Wasalaamulaikum, XXX Sister Mehak XXX

Email Chain Letters - ''If You Love Allah, Please Forward...''

By Yusuf Atiff Bin Abdel-Lateef Diab

There occurs today a very detestable practice among our Muslims in particular. It is the indulgence and participation in email chain letters. For those of us not familiar with this activity, it is where someone sends an email letter with some sort of story pertaining, in most cases but not always, to something Islamic, and then they put a condition at the end of this story to distribute this email to a certain number of people. The condition usually is a severe warning against not forwarding the email to the certain number of people in which case some calamity or mishap will occur if it is not done. In other cases the condition proposes a special benefit for forwarding the email to the certain number of people. Ordinarily this is a form of shirk that I think most people would be aware of or at least should recognize. Believing that some act not from the Qur'aan or Sunnah, if done, can cause some harm and/or benefit is indeed shirk. In doing so we set up a rival to Allaah, for truly it is only Allaah who can benefit us or harm us, and only Allaah can remove such harm.

As Allaah says in Surah Al-An'am ayah 17: "And if Allaah touches you with harm, none can remove it but He, and if He touches you with good, then He is Able to do all things."

One of the things we learn from this ayat is that any harm that afflicts us can only be removed by Allaah, so to specifically believe in bad omens, which includes bad luck and the belief that certain practices, not endorsed by Allaah or The Prophet sallAllahu 'Alayhi wa Salam, can affect the outcome of future events, is in essence the meaning of an omen. So to believe in these omens would be, belief that other than Allaah can remove such harm from us, which is setting a rival with Allaah in this removal of harm. And Allaah says in Surah al-Ma'aidah ayah 72: "Verily, whosoever sets up rivals in worship with Allaah, then Allaah has forbidden Al-Jannah for him, and the Fire will be his abode."

Imam Ahmad reports, on the authority of Ibn `Amr (radhi Allahu anhumma), that the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayi wa Salam) said:"Whoever is turned back from his objective by a bad omen has committed Shirk." They asked: "And what is the expiation for that?" He (sallAllahu 'alayhi wa salam) replied: "It is to say: "Oh, Allah! There is no good except that which You bestow and there is no evil except that which You bestow and there is none has the right to be worshipped but You."

In many circumstances these chain emails threatens the reader that "if" the email is not sent to the certain number of people then "such and such" will occur. As reported in the above hadith this is Shirk! As is reported on the authority of Ibn Mas'ood (radhi Allahu 'anhu) in a marfoo' form, which he said: "At-tiyarah (belief in omens) is Shirk, at-tiyrah (belief in omens) is Shirk. There is none among us who is not afflicted by it, but Allah, by true dependence on Him removes it from the heart." [Abu Dawood]

So this hadeeth /athar is a rejection of belief in omens because such beliefs necessitates negation of belief in Allah's Qadr and because it causes the heart to become attached to other than Allah, which is Shirk.

Now what is even more disturbing is that these omens are presented and beautified in the form of "harmless" conditions and mere fun. No doubt a trick for shaytaan ar rajeem, wa iyaadhu billah.

The most recent one of these chain emails puts the condition that "if you love Allaah, then forward this letter to...”!!! This should indeed be a higher degree of disturbing for Muslims as it entails speaking about an attribute of Allaah without knowledge, namely Allaah's love. How is it that one can put a condition to Allaah's love based on doing an act that has no precedence in The Book of Allaah or The Sunnah of His Messenger (sallAllahu 'alayhi wa Salam)?!? This is indeed a form of ilhad (deviation) regarding the attribute of Allaah, and a form of shirk in this category of Tawheed (Asmaa wa Sifaat). The love of Allaah is attainable through many acts of ibaadah mentioned to us in the Quran and Sunnah, and thus to innovate in this noble venture is a disgusting type of bidah, pursued in most part by those of ahl kalam (The people of false rhetoric). Those people who chose not to be content with the established texts of Al-Islaam, but rather engage in exercising their intellect with regard to the deen. As we should know the Beautiful, Perfect and Lofty Names and Attributes of Allaah are tawqeefiyyah, meaning they are derived from the text of The Qur'aan and The Sunnah. Speaking about Allaah's Names and/or Attributes without knowledge that which was not mentioned by Allaah or His Messenger (sallAllahu 'alayhi wa Salam) or the righteous predecessors of this Ummah constitutes a great offense against Allaah and His Deen.

Allaah (Subhana wa Ta'ala) says in Surah Al Ar'af ayah 33: "Say: My Lord has forbidden... and that you say about Allaah that of which you have no knowledge". And Allaah says in Surah al-Isra'a ayah 36: "Do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge." So we must be extremely careful not to attribute to Allaah or place a condition on His attributes that was not mentioned in any text of The Qur'aan and Sunnah, even if it appears to agree with our intellect. This is the methodology of the Sahabah concerning the Names and Attributes of Allaah, and it is the methodology that we in turn should adopt.

In conclusion I offer this sincere advice, and brotherly warning, if you or anyone you know is in the practice of writing these emails, or forwarding them, please revere Allaah and set not rivals with Him by spreading this fitnah of belief and indulgence in omens and superstious practices. Like so many other types of hidden shirk, it is beautified and marginalized until it enters our home as something that we take to be so minute and insignificant.

May Allah Al-Wakeel rectify the affairs of the Ummah. May He, protect us from all forms of Shirk, major and minor, hidden and apparent. May Allaah support us against the plots of shaytaan ar rajeem and our nafs and desires.

The Fever

Br. Talal Sarwani

There’s a very interesting worldwide phenomena taking place among the Muslim youth of today. Everyone’s favourite bit of Sunnah has become the advice of the Prophet (salallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) to get married asap. Alhamdulillah, the wisdom of that advice is nothing short of Divine, but the abuse of that advice is causing much trouble in the Ummah today. That trouble has manifested itself into one of the hated of what is Halaal: Talaq (Divorce). Kids are getting married right and left, lost in some romanticised version of what married life seems to be about, and the second they find themselves stuck in a mud of responsiblity, it’s time to flip out the mobile and text your significant other:

I divorce you - I divorce you - I divorce you

Indeed, it is a time of cowards.

So I set out to investigate what was causing this desperate desire for the Great Hookup. What did I find? Were the beards really growin’ and the brows left un-threaded? Were the kufis being worn and the hijabs being tightened? Was the thawb and the ‘abaya truly being donned? Was the scent of ‘oud aromafying the surroundings? Read on, brothers and sisters, read on for the truth….

The number one danger towards the one who is single, is to be around those who have newly become doubles. It’s been referred to in the past as The Fever. The Fever is not just the feeling that one needs to get hitched, it’s the malady that causes such feelings simply from having attended the hitching ceremonies of all-too-many people in an all-too-short amount of time. For proof of the existence of this syndrome, please go up to any brother (Though I claim to know their perspective as well, out of respect, I shall take the fifth as far as sisters are concerned) during the summer, especially during this Summer of a Thousand Weddings. You’ll hear the usual talk of empty hearts needing companionship, of guys swooning over she who looked back and if you’re around one after someone else’s wedding, a feeling of slight dejection rather than complete happiness for his just betrothed brother and sister.

The Fever is a powerful thing, taking over the life of he or she who is stung by it, causing him or her to find themselves raising their hands to Allah every night, asking for either the filling of their empty hearts or at the very least a respite from their feelings. So, brothas and sistas, if you find yourself in this most unwanted predicament, the prescription is as follows:

Step 1: Lower your gaze
Step 2: Pray for the feeling to go away
Step 3: Lower your gaze
Step 4: Don’t talk to others about your predicament (you’ll realise they’re in the same hole, and then the both of you will wallow in each other’s misery)
Step 5: Lower your gaze
Rinse. Spit. Repeat.

InshaAllah The Fever should soon subside and all will be back to normal. HOWEVER, say the ol’ heart sparks at the just barely-sighted-glance of a certain someone, then be sure to follow the following steps. Now, keep in mind this is the ONLY acceptable follow-up to that “cue the chorus” moment. Consider this your final warning not to join certain committees of certain organisations/societies, “accidentally” finding certain someone’s sitting there.

BONUS:
Step 6: ISTIKHARA TIME!!!!!!!!
Possible Step 7 for Brothers: Be a Man. Call her parents.
Possible Step 7 for Sisters: Just sit there all coy and shy (I keed, I keed).

This prescription is signed and endorsed by Shaykh (of the Polaroid Picture kind) Ishq ibn Al-Hubbatani, so you better believe it works. There is however a lot more that contributes to the ‘I Think I Love You, Marry Me’ Ummah today. The majority of these causes rests in the realm of what a brother once said: “Blame it on the Deen”.

The Romantic Islam:
As a preface to what follows, let me say that this topic includes far more than I can write about in this space, so I’m not gonna cover anything… I mean everything. There’s literally an incredible amount of things that fall into The Romantic Islam, but I’ll just touch upon these two of varying extremes, to give you just a taste of what I mean.

I’m using the word romantic not in the sense of an ideal, but in the plain old Qais/Majnu/Romeo and their Lailas/Juliet sense. These are those bits (according to the very doubtable research done for this) of Islam that when people gain knowledge of them, at a certain time of their lives, in that certain state of mind, all havoc lets loose, the hearts open up in need, and the shaitaan is called in for playtime. ‘You… complete… me…’

When Tom Cruise uttered those words to his love in Jerry McGuire, the heart of every woman in movie theaters around the world let out a collective sigh. If only they knew what Muslimahs had already known for centuries, or at least what they did, once, know. I’m referring to the oft-repeated hadith of the Lone Hearted:

Narrated by Anas, who reported that the Prophet(salallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) said: When a man marries, he has fulfilled half of his religion…

We are the creations of a Creator who knows our innards better than we know our names, so when we experience this wisdom that has been passed down to us, our hearts yell: SUBHANALLAH!!! I NEED to get married.

Let’s just face it, this hadith makes everyone feel good about things, and is among the greatest proliferators of Wandering Heart technology. Do note the “…”, because you rarely ever hear the rest of the hadith:

...so let him fear Allah regarding the remaining half.’’ ‘Nuff said, yo.

Sweet Nothings:
Ahem, the following is a very interesting tidbit. It’s something I gleaned from a brother in whom the desire to be wed was gnawing at him from the inside. We were in a room with just pillows on the floor to chill on. It of course happened to be a time of someone else’s wedding, which is why I just sat relaxing after a long night of partying with the *cough*aunties*cough*. So, this brother comes up to me, with a copy of Sahih Bukhari of all things, and he prompts me to read:

Volume 2, Book 21, Number 258:Narrated ‘Aisha: After offering the Sunna of the Fajr prayer, the Prophet used to talk to me, if I happened to be awake; otherwise he would lie down till the Iqama call was proclaimed (for the Fajr prayer).

“Alright”, I thought, “so?” He plopped himself down onto the floor, and with a bleary-eyed look, said: “Wouldn’t it be amazing to have someone to talk to when you walk up a little early for Fajr?” Let’s just say he didn’t take too kindly at me falling over from laughter nor my suggestion that he could always give me a call anytime he feels lonely at that hour. If you’re in this state. brothers and sisters, please follow the prescription given to you above, and inshaAllah spare the rest of us from stomach-hurting hilarity.

The End of This:
Alas, all great things come to an end, as must this post. I just barely touched upon what I really wanted to talk about, but my mind is not in a state of organisation, so I leave you with this little conclusion. Realise that marriage isn’t a joke or little fling you go through. It’s a responsibility, where the third party in the trust between a husband and wife is Allah. All this talk of love and all that jazz is a distraction, so pay little attention to it. There is ONE person for whom you are meant, inshaAllah, so take care of your personal half of your deen, and Allah will provide you with the best of companionship. Take the halaal way, and you’ll feel it yourself. The second the Nikah is done, the man and woman are infused with a feeling of rahmahshaitaan lead you astray when he discovers the state of your heart and mind. Seek refuge and establish trust in Allah, for that is the only way to keep yourself on the Sirat-Al-Mustaqeem. Someone once questioned the hurried rush to marriage seen in the Ummah, and couldn’t understand how they took that step when they didn’t even have a way of supporting a family. “When you’re capable of getting her the washing machine, then you’re ready to begin a life together”.

It’s akin to that sudden mercy felt by one who has just become a parent. It’s not something you can understand beforehand. There’s lots of things in Islam that stir the hearts, but they are there to convince you of the correctness of the Straight Path.

If I offended anyone, forgive me, inshaAllah. Oh, and to those souls who recently have been, or soon will be paired back to those they were with in Fitrah, our Du’as are with you. May Allah grant you all the best in the Dunya and the Hereafter… Ameen, Ameen, Ya Rabbil ‘Alameen