A Letter From a Christian Woman...

Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Raheem,
Assalaamu'alaikum Wa'rahmatulahi Wa'barkatahu, dear respected brothers and sisters.

Below is an email that was sent to me from another sister (may Allah reward her efforts, ameen), it may seem long, but subhan'Allah a LOT can be learnt from this woman's words.
------

A Letter from a Christian to a Muslim Woman By Joanna Francis*Writer, Journalist – USA

--
Between the Israeli assault on Lebanon and the Zionist "War on Terror," the Muslim world is now center stage in every home. I see the carnage, death and destruction that have befallen Lebanon, but I also see something else: I see you. I see that though you are dressed modestly, your beauty still shines through. But it's not just outer beauty that I notice. I also notice that I feel something strange inside me: I feel envy. I feel terrible for the horrible experiences and war crimes that the Lebanese people have suffered, being targeted by our common enemy. But I can't help but admire your strength, your beauty, your modesty, and most of all, your happiness.

Yes, it's strange, but it occurred to me that even under constant bombardment, you still seemed happier than we are, because you are still living the natural lives of women. The way women have always lived since the beginning of time. It used to be that way in the West until the 1960s, until we were bombarded by the same enemy, only we were not bombarded with weapons but with subtle trickery and moral corruption.

Temptation…
They bombarded us from Hollywood; they would like to bomb you in this way too, after they've finished bombing your countries. I do not want this to happen to you. You will feel degraded, just like we do. Because everything you see coming out of Hollywood is a pack of lies, a distortion of reality, smoke and mirrors. Presenting casual sex as a harmless pastime because they aim to destroy the moral fabric of the societies into which they beam their poisonous programming. I beg you not to drink their poison. There is no antidote for it once you have consumed it. You will never be the same. Better to avoid the poison altogether than to try to heal from the damage it causes.

They will tempt you with movies and music videos, falsely portraying us American women as happy and satisfied, proud of dressing like we do, and content without families. Most of us are not happy. Millions of us are on anti-depressant medication, hate our jobs, and cry at night over the men who told us they loved us, then greedily used us and walked away. They would like to destroy your families and convince you to have fewer children, by presenting marriage as a form of slavery, motherhood as a curse, and being modest and pure as old-fashioned. They want you to cheapen yourself and lose your faith. They are like the Serpent tempting Eve with the apple. DON’T BITE.

Self-Value…
You are precious gems, pure gold, or the "pearl of great value" spoken of in the Bible (Matthew 13: 45). All women are pearls of great value, but some of us have been deceived into doubting the value of our purity. Jesus said: "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend [slit, rip] you" (Matthew 7: 6). Our pearls are priceless, but they convince us that they're cheap. But trust me; there is no substitute for being able to look in the mirror and seeing purity, innocence and self-respect staring back at you.

The fashions coming out of the West are designed to make you believe that your most valuable asset is your sexuality. But your beautiful dresses and veils are actually sexier than any Western fashion, because they cloak you in mystery and show self-respect and confidence. A woman's sexuality should be guarded from unworthy eyes, since it should be your gift to the man who loves and respects you enough to marry you. And since your men are still manly warriors, they deserve no less than your best. Our men don't even want purity anymore. They don't recognize the pearl of great value, opting for the flashy rhinestone instead. Only to leave her too! Your most valuable assets are your inner beauty, your innocence, and everything that makes you who you are. But I notice that some Muslim women push the limit and try to be as Western as possible, even while wearing a veil (with some of their hair showing). Why imitate women who already regret their lost virtue? There is no compensation for that loss. You are flawless diamonds. Don't let them trick you into becoming rhinestones. Because everything you see in the fashion magazines and on TV is a lie. It is Satan's trap. It is fool's gold.

A Woman's Heart…
I’ll let you in on a secret, pre-marital sex is not even that great. We gave our bodies to the men we were “in love” with, believing that, that was the way to make them love us and want to marry us, just as we had seen on TV growing up. But without the security of marriage and the sure knowledge that he will always stay with us. It’s not even enjoyable! That’s the irony! It was just a waste! It leaves you in tears.

Only a woman can truly understand what's in another woman's heart. We really are all alike. Our race, religion or nationalities do not matter. A woman's heart is the same everywhere. We love. That's what we do best. We nurture our families and give comfort and strength to the men we love. But we have been fooled into believing that we are happiest having careers, our own homes in which to live alone, and freedom to give our love away to whomever we choose. That is not freedom. And that is not love. Only in the safe haven of marriage can a woman's body and heart be safe to love. Don't settle for anything less. It's not worth it. You won't even like it and you'll like yourself even less afterwards. Then he'll leave you.

Self-Denial…
Sin never pays. It always cheats you. There's no substitute for having been dishonored in the first place. We have been brainwashed into thinking that Muslim women are oppressed. But truly, we are the ones who are oppressed; slaves to fashions that degrade us, obsessed with our weight, begging for love from men who do not want to grow up. Deep down inside, we know that we have been cheated. We secretly admire and envy you, although we will not admit it. Please do not look down on us or think that we like things the way they are. It's not our fault. Most of us when we were young, our families have been destroyed. You know who is behind this plot. Don't be fooled, my sisters. Don't let them get you too. Stay innocent and pure. We women need to see what life is really supposed to be like for women. We need you to set the example for us, because we are lost. Hold onto your purity. Remember, you can't put the toothpaste back in the tube. So guard your "toothpaste" carefully!

I hope you receive this advice in the spirit in which it is intended; the spirit of friendship, respect, and admiration.

From your Christian sister "With Love"
----------------------------------------- * This article is republished with the kind permission of the author. Joanna Francis is a writer and journalist and she manages her own blog.
---------
Subhan’Allah wa bi Hamdi, my dear sisters, indeed, we have all been mislead by the dunya and its temptations, with the aid of media and fashion amongst other things. Indeed this Deen of ours has come complete.

Giving women the rights and honour they deserve to be given. Modesty is the natural fitrah (disposition) women were created with, yet the media and the fashion industries have pumped society with lewdness, filth and all kinds of corruption, destroying the purity and innocence of women. Let us not be sheep my dear sisters and follow the western crowd, we have our own identity as Muslimaat (Muslim women), our own values and our own way of life.

Islam was sent down more than 1400 years ago perfect, it was perfect then, it is perfect now and it will remain perfect. The society will not change for us, so why should we change for it?

Islam, is not a sexist religion in favour of our brothers, rather it is a moral way of life, in favour of the Abdullah (male servant of Allah) and Amatullah (female servant of Allah). At the end of the day, think of it this way my sisters,
The brothers go out to work cramped on the buses and trains like in a tin of sardines, whilst the sisters can sleep in, and wake up after her beauty sleep.
…
The brothers do the same work day in, day out, whereas the sisters can do different chores and experiment with different types of cuisines.
…
The brothers give their wives money and provisions, and the sisters/their wives simply go spending.
…
The money of your husbands goes to contribute towards all the family, whereas you my dear sister can spend ALL your money on beautifying yourself and doing whatever you desire with it.
…
The men may get more from inheritance then the women, but this must be spent in providing for his wife, parent, children, and sisters, whereas the women get their share alllll to themselves.
…
The fathers have a degree of rights over the children by one, whereas the mothers have a degree of rights 3 times than that of the father.
…
The men pray 24/7 including Jum’ah being fard, whereas the women get a break during their menses and Jum’ah is a Sunnah.
…
It is better for Brothers to go to the Masjid to pray, in the cold, windy, snowy, rainy, weather, whereas it is a mercy from Allah that we as sisters can pray at home (and just laugh at those stuck outside, while we sit in our slippers next to the heater).
…
So my dear sisters, is Islam really in favour of the men? Well I don’t know about you but I’m sure glad to be a woman!

Wassalaam.

YOUR FINAL EVENT!!!

DATE: Wednesday 6th May 2009

TIME: 3:15 - 5:15pm

VENUE: Main Hall

SPEAKER: Muawiyya Tucker

TOPIC: The Punishment of the Grave, Paradise and the Hellfire

BE THERE!

A simple story with a strong message...

Aslaamau alikum

A simple story with a strong message....

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island.

He prayed feverishly for Allah to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming.

Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements and to store his few possessions.

But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was stunned with grief and anger.

"Allah, how could you do this to me!" he cried. Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him.

"How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied.

Moral: It is easy to get discouraged when things are going badly. But we shouldn't lose heart, because Allah is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain and suffering.Remember, next time your little hut is burning to the ground--it just may be a smoke signal that summons The Grace of Allah.

Truly Allah is "Al-Muhaimin" -The Protector, The One who witnesses the saying and deeds of His creatures.
Allah makes ways for us that we could never ever imagine. Alhamdulilah

SHAHADAH

By Fatima Barkatulla

MashaAllah a few weeks ago in Birmingham I had the opportunity by the grace of Allah to take a sister's Shahadah. It was the first time somebody repeated the Shahadah after me and so I found it very moving as I had been making du'a that Allah would give me that chance. It went something like this (I've called her 'D'):

D had been told that she could attend the Tarbiyah programme to get to know more about Muslims, so she was sitting in the tarbiyah programme hall and had been observing us teaching salaah, wudhu and recitation of Suratul Fatiha with Tajweed. Then after my talk I was walking past her when it looked like she wanted to say something.

So I went over to her and asked her if all was OK.
"How are you finding it?"
"Good...yeah....er...I just wanted to ask you what a person has to do to become a Muslim."
"Oh." I said, "you think you might like to?"
"Well, I don't really know how to do anything and I don't know if I could do it all..."
"Well you know, it takes time and slowly slowly you learn more everyday and do more. You can't be expected to do everything all at once or know everything all at once. Look at us....even we are still learning." I said.
She nodded.
"So look, do you believe that there is only One God and He alone deserves to be worshipped?"
"Yeah" she said...she had been reading and learning and she was definitely sure about that one.
"OK, and do you know about the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam)?"
"Well, I've read about him"
"OK, so are you convinced that he was a Prophet of God, the last messenger (peace be upon him)?"
"Yes."
"You accept that?" I was getting excited by now!
"Yes."
"Then you are already a Muslim. You just need to declare it so that you acknowledge it to God and to us Muslims. That's the Shahadah, you're testifying that there is nothing worthy of worship except Allah, the One and Only God and that Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) is the messenger of God."
She nodded sweetly.
"So, D, are you ready? You don't have to do it on the microphone or anything."
A pause.
"The most important thing now is to declare what you believe. So that you'll be counted as a Believer. Because we don't know what could happen to any one of us when we walk out of this place tonight. May Allah protect us but we don't know when death will come."
She looked down, nodding and then raised her head and said "Yeah. I'm ready."
Then I sat down next to her. Some sisters had figured out something big was going on and had begun to congregate around us. Some sat next to her.
"Could you explain what I have to say first."
"Yeah. You say Ash hadu Allaa ilaaha illallah. Wa Ash hadu anna muhammadan rasoolullah. Which means, I bear witness or I testify that there is nothing worthy of worship except Allah. And I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). OK?"
She nodded.
"What was your religion before this?" I asked.
"Nothing" she said. I'd asked her, to make sure that if she had been a Christian, that she definitely believed that Jesus was a Prophet and not the son of God. Sometimes Christians find that concept hard to let go of, but in her case it wasn't an issue.
"OK so repeat after me. We'll say it in Arabic and then in English." Then she repeated the Shahadah after me in Arabic. In the middle of it I couldn't stop the tears flowing and had to stop for a moment to gather myself. I found it so moving at that moment to feel that the message of the Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) had indeed reached so far, over the world and that we, in the middle of Rum (Rome as the Arab's called Europe at that time) were sitting here taking a persons declaration of faith in the message that that kind shepherd, the orphan who became the leader and liberator of Arabia had come with (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam) How truly momentous each and every Shahadah is.
It reminds me of the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) at his farewell pilgrimage when he was so careful to ask the people gathered at Arafah "Have I conveyed the message?" And they replied in unison "Yes!" And he said to Allah "Oh Allah bear witness!"

And in this Hadeeth: One day when the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) returned from a journey and went to Fatima’s house, Fatima welcomed him and kissed his face, his mouth and his eyes and wept.
“Why do you cry?” the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) asked.
“I see you, O Rasul Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam),” she said, “Your colour is pale and sallow and your clothes have become worn and shabby.”
“O Fatima,” the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) replied tenderly, “don’t cry for Allah has sent your father with a mission which He would cause to affect every house on the face of the earth whether it be in towns, villages or tents (in the desert) bringing either glory or humiliation until this mission is fulfilled just as night (inevitably) comes.”

How I wished I could tell the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) how far his message had come! "Yes! Oh Prophet of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam)...you indeed conveyed the message! The whole world testifies!"

Then she completed repeating the Shahadah after me in Arabic and then in English. By now a large crowd of sisters had gathered around us. All silently observing this miracle. The miracle of Hidaayah or guidance. How Allah turns a person towards Him and guides them and makes them into our Sisters and Brothers in Islam. The sisters embraced her and called out Takbeers.
One sister who had embraced Islam just a few months earlier said to her "You've made the right decision sister. You won't regret it!"
I encouraged the sisters not to allow this to be the end of their love and enthusiasm for this sister. That is was our responsibility to open up our homes, to really make this sister a member of our families.
Some responsible sisters took on the role of being mentor to her and exchanged email addresses and phone numbers. We emphasised Salah to her (even just doing the actions and reciting some basic things like Subhan Allah, Alhamdulillah and Allahu Akbar during salah until she learns it properly and keeping away from Major sins....insha Allah over time, by keeping to Salah she will become stronger and do more and more.

I felt like it was the best day of my life so far and when I got home I did Sajdah of Thanks to Allah.

Are we the MASTERS of our parents?

I remember that once upon a time, it used to feel like a big shock when I heard about news of murder cases. Every once in a while I would hear about a killing somewhere. But now, when I flick through the news channels or the Metro on the train in the morning, there are dozens of articles about murders, about deaths. It doesn’t seem like big news now, because it is so common and I read about it after each and every turn of a page of the Metro…EVERYDAY!

What has this world turned into? There is so much brutality, so much hatred, so much bloodshed! What’s even worse is that I have noticed that many of those murder cases I read about these days are about ‘a mother or father killing their child’ or ‘a child killing his parents!’ Respect has been lost almost completely for parents! They are the people who brought us into this world. They are the people who raised us up, put up with all the stress and distress we made them go through when we were young. And we, in return, disrespect our parents using foul language, cursing them, hurting them emotionally and showing not even an atom’s weight of respect for them!

I would like to mention a story that really woke me up:

There was a very loyal companion of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) whose name was Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas (radhiyallahu ‘anh). He was one of the companions who showed the most respect for his mother and he loved her greatly. But when he embraced Islam and became a Muslim, his mother was extremely angry.

She told him:

“Give up Islam, or else I will go on hunger strike until I die. Then you will feel shame before the Arabs, as they will say, ‘He killed his mother.’”

Now tell me guys, how could a son, especially a son like Sa’d (radhiyallahu ‘anh), watch his mother go on a hunger strike and eventually die? This had hurt Sa’d (radhiyallahu ‘anh) a great deal but he was just a new Muslim and believed that he cannot ever give up Islam.

So Sa’d (radhiyallahu ‘anh) responded by saying:

“You should know that, by Allah, even if you had a 100 souls, and they left your body one by one, I would never give up Islam.”

This showed how firm his belief was in Allah and the Messenger (peace be upon him) but it was the ‘wrong’ response.

Allah immediately revealed a verse from the Qur’an to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him):

“However, if they force you to ascribe partners to Me about whom you (can) have no (source of) knowledge, then do not obey them. Remain with them in this world with due fairness, but follow the way of the one who has turned himself towards Me. Then, towards Me is your return, so I shall tell you what you had been doing.” [Qur’an 31:15]

Sa’d (radhiyallahu ‘anh) was a very good companion but this incident was destined to happen in order for the rest of the Ummah to learn from it. It wasn’t right the way Sa’d (radhiyallahu ‘anh) spoke to his mother although he was put in a very uneasy and painful position. We must treat our parents with patience and thought, even if they tell us to go against Islam. But how many of us born into a Muslim family, have parents who are asking us to go completely against Islam?
Even if our parents interfere in the choice of our friends, we assume that they’re ruining our lives; hence we attack them with our loud and abusive words.

Have the parents in this world given birth to their masters?
Have they raised their children so they can be ruled by them?
If we are shouting at and arguing with our parents today, what is our next step?
A push?
A stab?
A new murder case in the Metro?
May Allah discourage these ruthless acts within our Ummah.

We need to be careful how we treat our parents, because the Satan will always be there to encourage us to take a step further towards Hell.
Always remember what our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught us that whoever pleases their parents, pleases Allah and whoever angers their parents, angers Allah.

If you feel that you haven’t done much for your parents, do something. The least we can do is make sincere du’a for our parents and this is a recommended du’a that we can recite:

“Rabbighfir lee Wa Liwaalidayyah Wa Lil Mu'mineena Yauma Yaqoomuk Hisaab.Rabbir HamHumaa Kamaa Rabbayaanee Sagheeraa.”

O Lord, forgive me, my parents and Muslims in the Hereafter. O Lord, show mercy on them as they have nourished me when I was young.

- The Sweet Smell of Lust -

Adornment of the women series (Part 1)

- The Sweet Smell of Lust -

Asalaamu'alaikum Wa'rahamtulahi Wa'barkatahu dear respected brothers and sisters.
Alhumdulilah i am very pleased to let you all know that we will be starting a series of posts on the Adornment of Women on the blog, addressing issues we find so common in society but forget to find out the Islamic perspective (may be the brothers could do something similar for men). Yes the posts are lengthy, but need to be in order to get across the whole picture. The post is as follows...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As one walks down the street, one can smell the piercing smell of perfume, a bit of Chanel here, a bit of Lacoste there and a bit of Givenchy everywhere.

Sisters are lathering themselves in so much perfume, layering one on top of the other, so much so that you can smell them miles off!!!

Sisters, we are too keen to waste our money on perfumes, indulging in Haraam, we forget our brothers and sisters around the world who can’t even afford to get some water just to perform ablution or ghusl!

Sisters, we wear hijaab as a means of covering our beauty, because this beauty is something pure, rare, special and only for our husbands’ insha’Allah, but that very beauty is put again on show via perfume. It may not be on show through the eyes but through the sense of smell!

Such is perfume that when smelt, even if you didn’t see the woman wearing it, or even as ugly as her physical appearance may be, to one’s mind, illustrious images are created of how beautiful and sexy she must be and naturally many feelings are aroused.

By the way, recently biologists have discovered a sexual gland in the nose, i.e., there is a direct connection between the sense of smell and the provocation of desire. If this is true, then it is one of the signs that prove even to the kuffaar how precise are the rulings of this Shari’ah, Subhan’Allah which came to preserve chastity and to block the ways that lead to immorality.

My dear sisters, we should be a means to protect our brothers and vice versa, we shouldn’t make it harder for them then it already is by applying perfume outside the home. (Perfume even in the home should only be applied amongst Mahram men.)

Furthermore sisters, wearing perfume outside was not the practice of the Umm-ul-Mu’mineen (Mothers of the Believers), i.e. the wives of the Prophet Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam, wearing ‘Atr and perfume was something intimate and special only for the husband. Therefore applying perfumes and ‘Atr outside the home is an imitation of the kuffaar women, as in society it is their practice.

It was narrated that Zaynab, the wife of ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood, said: The Messenger of Allaah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam said to us: “If one of you attends the mosque, let her not put on perfume.”
[Narrated by Muslim (443)].
&
“…so A’ishah Radi Allahu Anha went to the Prophet Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam and put on her khimar (a nice/special jilbab) and put on Safr on (the equivalent of what is known now days as perfume) on her hijaab/khimar and wet it with water and she brushed water over it so that the smell would come out more and she came to the Prophet Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam that night and sat (intimately) close to him…”
[Muhammad Al-Shareef: How To Be An Outstanding Wife.]

My dear sisters, pay close attention to the hadith of the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam:
“It was narrated from Abu Moosa Radi Allahu Anhu that the Prophet Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam said: “If a woman puts on perfume and passes by people so that they can smell her fragrance, then she is such and such,” and he spoke sternly - meaning an adulteress.”
[Narrated by Abu Dawood and al-Tirmidhi]

al-Mannaawi said in Fayd al-Qadeer (1/355):

“She is an adulteress” means: because of that she is exposed to zina, and implementing the means that lead to it and calling those who seek it. Hence she is called an adulteress in a metaphorical sense, because desire may prevail and real zina may take place. Her passing by men is likened to her sitting in their path so that they pass by her. End quote.
&
The Prophet Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam said:
"Any woman who applies perfume and passes by a group of people who may smell her perfume, is an adulterous woman."
[Ahmad and An-Nasaa'i]

In the time of the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam, such were the Sahaabee (the companions of the prophet Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam), that when the men smelt the women/a woman with perfume coming to the mosque, the Sahaabee such as Umar bin Al-Khattab Radi Allahu Anhu would chase her away, throwing pebbles, because of the Fitnah perfume presents.
Abu Hurairah said that:

A woman passed by him smelling strongly of scent. He called to her: "O slave of the powerful, are you going to the mosque?" She said that she was. He said: "Go back and wash it off. I heard the Messenger of Allah (saws) say: 'Any woman who goes to the mosque wearing perfume will not have her prayer accepted by Allah; first she should go back home and have a bath [to wash it off].'
&
In Sahih Muslim that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) said:
"Any woman who uses some scent should not be present with us during the night prayer".
&
The Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) also said:
"Do not prevent woman from praying at the mosques of Allah. And they are to go out unperfumed”.
[Ahmad and Abu Dawood].

Our ultimate role models besides the Messenger of Allah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam, for the women are the Umm-ul-Mu’mineen; the Mothers of the believers and of course the perfectly created women of Jannah: the Hoor al-Ayn.

With both, the nature of these women were/are such that they would only put on perfume/adorn themselves for their husbands in the privacy of their own homes where no stranger could be present. This is clearly evident from the previous narration of A’ishah Radi Allahu Anha going towards the Prophet Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam.
&
In Mishkat, (volume three it says on pages 83-97): The Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam said: "If a houri looks down from her abode in heaven onto the earth, the whole distance (space) shall be filled with light and fragrance. A houri's face is more radiant than a mirror, and one can see one's image in her cheek. The marrow of her shins is visible to the eyes".
&
The Hour-al-Ayn do not want wives to annoy their husbands, since the houris will also be the spouses [i.e. wives] of the husbands in the afterlife; Ibn-i-Majah vol.3:2014 p.212;

My Dear sisters what do we learn from these ahadith and narrations? That the women of this Dunya and the women of Jannah merely hasten to please only their husbands, no one else, the wearing of perfume is a form of pleasure only for the husband.

The Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) has said:
“Marry pleasant and fertile women (capable of conceiving children)…” The Hadith goes further to give some detailed description of the characteristics of the good wife, saying that “she is the one if her husband looks at her; he is pleased by her appearance”.
Perfume is part of that which is pleasing, my dear sisters!

Sisters like mentioned before, part of our role in society is to help our brothers in Islam to progress further and higher in Al-Islam. This meaning, helping them to lower their gaze, as they help us to do so as well.
Now dear sisters, imagine being head-to-toe intoxicated in perfume, and walking down the street, on the street a brother is pacing towards you (as he may be late for Jam’ah or something the like), as he walks past you, despite only for a split second, your perfume reaches the brother and he can smell your scent, despite being a good practicing brother in the Deen, the brother may be aroused, because such is the smell of perfume that anyone of us can be the target of attraction to the opposite sex! (As the biologists have now realized…Subhan’Allah! What took them so long?)

(Next thing you know, your getting stalked, getting odd proposals of marriage and being chased down the street, with some bearded brother in a thoub declaring his love you!)

Subhan’Allah! As far fetched as this sounds, we live in a world where all this is possible because the Shaytaan will not rest till we bite from the fruit of temptation, our own very nafs (desires) will keep going until we commit a haraam, such as ZINA!!! …All because of the ‘Sweet smell of LUST’.

Sisters I’m not saying we should deprive our selves of perfume completely, for those of us married, Alhumdulilah it should be for the husband, for those of us still looking/single so forth, our maternal home is a fine place to indulge ourselves (providing there are only women and Mahram men present, not at family gatherings with cousins and the like.)

Neither am I saying, go round college smelling of B.O, there are many FRAGRANCE-FREE deodorants!!!

Sisters, try to think back to a hadith I mentioned in a previous post about Allah disliking the squandering of money, now sisters ask yourself, how much does ONE perfume cost??? When researching average prices I came up with: £19.50 (Intimately Beckham), £39.00 (Britney Spears-Curious), £37.00 (Lolita Lempicka), & £49.00 (Joop Femme)!!! Subhan’Allah Wa bi Hamdi!!! Add another pound and you will have enough to pay for Qurbani, have enough to get a poor child in Baluchistan an E’id gift, pay for a water pump, that same money going so much more further and it is an HALAAL investment!!!

One can simply go to ZamZam or something and buy ‘Atr/’Itr for a mere £1.50.
Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam praised musk.
At-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawood narrated from Abu Said Radi Allahu Anhu that Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam said about musk:
“It is the purest of all your perfumes”.
&
Al-Bukhari, Nasai and al-Tirmidhi narrated from Muhammad bin Ali, he said: I asked Aisha Radi Allahu Anha: “Did Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam used to put on a perfume?”.
She (Radi Allahu Anha) answered:
“Yes, with the best of the male perfume: Musk and ambergris”.

Now sisters this does not mean all the sisters start coming to college stylin’ it out with ‘Atr, saying “Oh it’s halal, I’m not wasting money, it’s the Sunnah, Mehak said so!” I am merely suggesting a cost-effective alternative for HOME-use!!! (the operant word being HOME!!!)

Sisters I would like to end this post, re-stating the one of the first hadith I mentioned:
The Prophet Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam said:
“If a woman puts on perfume and passes by people so that they can smell her fragrance, then she is such and such,” and he spoke sternly - meaning an ADULTERESS.”
[Narrated by Abu Dawood and at-Tirmidhi]
-------

Keep the Ummah in your du'as,

Wa'asalaam, Sister In Islam!

The Story of Luqman(A.S.) and the Melon

Luqman(A.S.) had great love for the Almighty, that it created within him high moral character and exemplary habits. This was a clear sign of his nobility and nearness to Allah. The details of that is described in Surah(Chapter) Luqman in the Glorious Qur'an.
Luqman(A.S.) used to be in the employ of a rich man. The nobility of Luqman(A.S.)'s character had a great effect on his master, so much so that the master considered him as a great friend and a beloved companion. Although he was the master, yet in fact the master became like a slave to his employee.
It became the practice of the master that whenever he had something special to eat, he would first feed Luqman(A.S.) of it and after Luqman(A.S.) had filled himself, he would eat the left overs. Luqman(A.S.) would consider the love of the master and his habit, so he would eat moderately and send what was left over to the master.
One day, during the melon season, the master received a melon from somewhere. At that time Luqman(A.S.) was not present. The master sent one of his slaves to go and call him. When Luqman(A.S.) arrived, the master cut the melon into slices and slice by slice started giving thereof to Luqman(A.S.) to eat. As he ate the slices, the master inwardly became pleased at the effect his love was having upon Luqman(A.S.).
Luqman(A.S.) ate the slices with great PLEASURE and all the time expressed THANKS for the favour shown to him by the master. After having eaten the slices, when just one slice remained, the master said: "Let me eat this slice and see how sweet is this melon." Saying this, he put the slice into his mouth. Immediately, such bitterness spread from the tip of his tongue down to his throat, that as a result of the extreme bitterness of the meoln, he fell down unconscious and remained unconscious for a whole hour.
When he regained consciousness, he questioned Luqman(A.S.): " O Beloved one, How did you manage to, so heartily eat those slices of melon ? Just one slice of the melon had such an effect on me, then how did you manage to eat so many slices ?" Luqman(A.S.) replied: "O Friend, from your hands I have received hundreds of gifts. The burden of thanks upon me is so great, that my back has gone crooked. Hence, I felt ashamed that the hand that had granted me so much favours, if one day some distastefulness or bitterness should come, how can I turn away from it ? O Friend, the pleasure of knowing that it comes from your hands has changed the bitterness of the melon to sweetness."
LESSON:
At every given moment there are numerous bounties and favours of Allah upon mankind. But if ever for a moment some such incident takes place which brings with it, a problem and outwardly causes some difficulty, man loses patience and fails to be grateful. On the other hand, there are those who are granted understanding, so that when sorrows and difficulties touches them, they remain happy, pleased and grateful to their Lord. At such times, they draw strength from their good understanding and realise that this world is like a hospital and we are like patients in it. There are times when the doctor gives the patient " sweet " medicine and at other times " bitter" medicine. However, in both these, there are beneficial results for the patient. Similarly, Allah is the "Al Hakeem", the All-Wise and at the same time is the " Haakim"- Ruler. He is also "Ar- Raheem", the Merciful One. Hence, whether it brings out comfort or discomfort, all these are for our benefit and interest.
..................... So be Grateful and Thankful under ALL circumstances and conditions to the Almighty.

The Flower Vs. The Pearl...

The Flower Vs. The Pearl...

Asalaamu'alaikum Warahmatulahi Wabarkatahu dear respected brothers and sisters, insha'Allah this post is more aimed towards the sisters, but the brothers can apply this to their own hijaab and whether they'd rather follow the sunnah or the society (i.e. covering for their Awrah [navel to knees]).

"One day, a brilliantly beautiful and fragrant flower with attractive colors met a pearl that lives far in the bottom of the sea and has none of these characteristics. Both got acquainted with each other.

The flower said:
"Our family is large; roses and daisies are members of the family. And there are many other species that are various and countless; each has a distinctive scent, appearance etc."

Suddenly, a tinge of distress appeared on the flower. "Nothing accounts for sorrow in your talk; so why are depressed?" The pearl asked.

"Human beings deal with us carelessly; they slight us. They don't grow us for our sake but to get pleasure from our fragrance and beautiful appearance. They throw us on the street or in the garbage can after we are dispossessed of the most valuable properties; brilliance and fragrance." The flower sighed.

And then the flower said to the pearl: "Speak to me about your life! How do you live? How do you feel it? You are buried in the bottom of the sea."

The pearl answered: "Although I have none of your distinctive colors and sweet scents, humans think I am precious. They do the impossible to procure me. They go on long journeys, dive deep in the seas searching for me. You might be astounded to know that the further I lay, the more beautiful and brilliant I become. That's what upraises my value in their thought. I live in a thick shell isolated in the dark seas. However, I'm happy and proud to be in a safe zone far from wanton and mischievous hands and still the humans consider me highly valuable."

Do you know what the flower and the pearl symbolize? Think, Think, Think... You will find that: The flower is the unveiled woman (who shows her charms) and the pearl is the veiled woman (who conceals her beauties).

Who would you like to be my dear sisters?????

Wasalaamu'alaikum Wa'rahmatulahi Wa'barkatahu.

The Beauty of a Woman

The beauty of a woman isn't on the front covers of a magazine,
The beauty of a woman is reflected by her love for her deen.
The beauty of a woman isn't in her airbrushed smile,
its her hard work she dedicates to her family that goes a mile.
The beauty of a woman is apparent in her motherhood,
she raises her children to form a strong Muslim brotherhood.
The beauty of a woman isn't in her figure or how much she weighs,
its when she pours her heart out to Allah and prays.

The strength for every good man,
performing all the dignified roles- shes still amazing even as a gran!
The endless and tiresome nights; she raises her children in Allah's name with sheer delight People think that by working outside that gives a lot to contemporary society,
fair enough but ignoring the family isn't really piety.
The beauty of a woman lies in her unconditional love;
that Allah by His Rahman bestows from High above.
Without our mothers what would we have been,

When man cries defeat the beauty of a woman can be seen by her grace,
she aspires her husband to never leave his place.
Her hijab is for her; So why can't the media stop the slur.
She adores her coverings, its not for men and women to stare -
all this for Allah she is offering.
The beauty of a woman can be measured by her friendship
from every kind word, advice and so many tips.
The beauty of a woman can be seen in her intelligence,
not in skinny tight jeans, but modesty in my book is elegance
I'm not here condemning women- because we are all different,
but there are certain qualities that are ignored- those qualities are magnificent.

Her laughter and her beautiful smile;
is still there after she has struggled hard for miles.
She maintains her role to such perfection; of mother, daughter, sister, and wife
she has the same rights to education.
Best of all her beauty stems from Islam;
that through the chaos of this world saves her from harm.
She feels at ease, and is truly liberated,
if only other women knew how these lies about our women are fabricated.

The Key to Answered Prayers (Part II)

Imam Ahmad, may Allah be pleased with him, was once travelling and needed to stay somewhere overnight. When he went to the masjid, the guard (not recognising Imam Ahmad) denied him entrance. Imam Ahmad tried numerous times, but the guard did not accept his requests. Frustrated, Imam Ahmad resolved to spend the night in the masjid yard. The guard became furious and dragged him away, despite the old age and weakness of Imam Ahmad. A baker, whose shop was nearby, watched this scene and took pity on Imam Ahmad. He invited the Imam to stay with him for the night. While there, Imam Ahmad noticed that the baker continually made istighfar (asking for Allah’s forgiveness) while working, and in the morning, the Imam eagerly asked his host about the latter’s continual seeking of forgiveness. The baker said it had become like second nature, and Imam Ahmad then asked whether the man had experienced any reward from this practice.

The baker answered, “By Allah! No duaa (supplication to Allah) I made except that it was answered but one.”

“And what is that duaa?” asked Imam Ahmad.

“To be able to see the famous Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal!”

Imam Ahmed interrupted, “I am Ahmad ibn Hanbal!”

He then went on to add:

“By Allah! I was dragged to your place so that you can have your duaa/wish come true.”

- Summarized from Al Jumuah magazine, vol 19, issue 7.

Aishah (radi Allahu anha) said- ‘So lucky is the one who comes on the Day of Judgment and find in his/her record a lot of astaghfurillah.’ SubhanAllah…Allah dragged Imam Ahmad to the house of the baker to answer his duaa. We need to start making istighfar and a lot of dua brothers and sisters, and not only for ourselves but also for our brothers and sisters who are suffering all over the world. Dua in itself is an act of worship, and one of the duas that quickly receives an answer is the dua that one makes for his brother/sister in their absence for the Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said,

"The dua of a Muslim for his brother (in Islam) in his absence is readily accepted, an angel is appointed to his side, whenever he makes a beneficial dua for his brother the appointed angel says "aameen and may you also be blessed with the same".[Sahih Muslim)

May Allah (‘azza wajjal) guide us all and give us the ability to act upon everything that is written on this blog. May He reward all the brothers and sisters who take time out of their busy schedule to benefit us all with their knowledge and may He grant us all Imaan and Taqwa. Ameen.

p.s. please make dua for me

Wasalamu ‘alaikum warahmatullah

Muslimah

The Key to Answered Prayers (Part 1)

Asalamu ‘alaikum warahmatullahi wabarkatuhu

My beloved brothers and sisters in Islam, have you ever made dua to Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala), didn’t get a quick reply, and despaired for a while? Brothers and sisters, know that any dua that a Muslim makes Allah will surely accept it, either in this dunya or the akhira, therefore, you should never ever despair or lose hope.
“Do not let the delay of what you are fervently praying for discourage you, or dishearten you - for He has Guaranteed you the answer in what He chooses for you (not in what you choose for yourself) and when He wills, not when you do.”(Ibn Atallah, Maxim 6, Chapter 1, The Hikam)

Your dua depends on how much you nag Allah. When you nag a human being, they eventually get annoyed and frustrated; however, Allah loves it when His servants nag him. This is why the Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said, ‘People will come and say ‘I made dua and I made dua but Allah didn’t respond.’ So then, they give up hope and they stop making dua, and it may have been that Allah was just about to answer that dua. Never ever give up hope in Allah my brothers and sisters, and always nag Him when you are making dua.

Some people think Allah has betrayed them in their dua while they worship Allah well. Don’t ever think that. Know that if Allah cares for you-which He does; if He knows what you’re asking for will cause much harm to you, then He will not respond and He will leave it till the Hereafter.

"Aisha radhiallaahu anha said, "No believer makes Dua and it is wasted. Either it is granted here in this world or deposited for him in the Hereafter as long as he does not get frustrated."

You have to rely on Allah that is the test. Do you rely on Him? Then depend on Him my brothers and sisters, and know that whatever He does is for your own good.

This post is a reminder to myself first and foremost. Any mistakes I have made are due to my own shortcomings, please do forgive me, and any good that has been addressed is from Allah alone and to Him do we return.
Wasalamu ‘alaikum warahmatullah

Muslimah

The Importance of Parents in Islam...

PARENTS IN ISLAM…

Assalaamulaikum Warahmatulahi Wabarkatahu dear respected brothers and sisters.

Dear brothers and sisters, it is a rising concern in the Ummah, of how badly we as children treat our parents, we forget that treating our parents with kindness and being just to them is a COMMAND of Allah Subhana Wa Ta'laa, The Almighty, The Over-Powering Lord of the Worlds!!!

Dear sisters and brothers, let the below narration serve as a reminder to all of us, in how our conduct should be towards our parents, and if we do not fulfill this command, the abode of Jahanaam that awaits in the hereafter and the torment we may face!

We are Alhumdulilah currently at the age of youth in which marriage is on most of our minds, or at the back of our minds (or in most cases brothers and sisters are thinking about marriage or avoiding it), so brothers let the below narration be an advice and guide to you for your future married life Insha'Allah in how you should be as a husband and a SON, and sisters, let the below narration be a reminder to us, in how we as WIVES insha'Allah must be careful and wary of what our husbands do, and how they treat their parents!!!

Hadhrat ibn Abbas Radi Allahu Anhu said:
“At the time of the Prophet Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam, there was a young man named Alkamah. He used to work very hard and give his earnings to charity. One day he became very ill. His wife sent a message to the Prophet Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam. The Prophet Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam sent Bilal, Ali, Suleman and Amar Radi Allahu Anhum with these words,
‘See how he is.’

They went and found that he was indeed very ill and close to death. They spent some time trying to make him read the Kalimah, but something was holding him back. Bilal Radi Allahu Anhu returned to tell the Prophet Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam about his condition.

The Prophet Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam asked,
‘Are his parents alive?’
Bilal Radi Allahu Anhu replied, ‘His father has passed away, but his mother is still alive.’ The Prophet Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam told Bilal Radi Allahu Anhu to call his mother and if she couldn't come then the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam would come to her.

As soon as Alkamah’s mother heard, she grabbed her walking stick and came right away. She did Salaam and the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam returned it and asked,
‘Tell me truthfully, if you don't, then I will learn by revelation. What sort of deeds did your son do?’
She told the Prophet Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam that he was a very pious man, that he used to read prayers consistently, fast constantly and give alms abundantly. The Prophet Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam asked her how he was with her. She said, ‘I am upset with him. Instead of me, he gives preference to his wife. He used to disobey me and listened to his wife.

The Prophet Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam said to her,
‘Your displeasure has stopped Alkamah from reciting the Kalimah.’ The Prophet Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam then ordered his Companions to gather some wood and to burn him.

The mother asked whether they were really going to burn her son in front of her? The Prophet Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam told her,
‘Allah's punishment is much greater. If you want Allah to forgive Alkamah, you must first forgive him yourself. His praying, fasting and alms-giving will do him no good.’
His mother raised her hands and said, ‘I have forgiven him.’

The Prophet Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam sent Bilal Radi Allahu Anhu to check on Alkamah. He was reading the Kalimah. Alkamah died that very day. The Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam arranged his funeral and led his Janazah.
After that he stood up and addressed the people.
‘The person who prefers his wife rather then his mother, Allah’s curse be upon him. His faraaidh and nawafil will not be accepted."

SOURCE: http://www.inter-islam.org/RightsDuties/parents.html#IMPORTANCE

May Allah Subhana Wa ta'laa make us better children to our parents, and continually strive to better our characters in all aspects of life, Ameen!

Wasalaamulaikum Warahmatulahi Wabarkatahu! x

...The Plastic Woman!...

…The Plastic Woman! …..

Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim.
By the Name of Allah, The Most Compassionate, The Most Merciful.

Asalaamulaikum Warahmatulahi Wabarkatahu dear respected brothers and sisters.

The focus of this post is mainly for the sisters, but a good topic for the brothers too, to be up to scratch with for future use, Insha’Allah.

My dear sisters, there is a worryingly steady increase in the world of plastic/cosmetic surgery in today’s society, and this is a problem that is not only prevalent and affecting the western world but a problem in our Muslim Ummah too!!!

Too often are we seeing and hearing, sisters turning to/or wanting to turn to plastic surgery as a solution to all their physical (and not to forget MATERIAL) problems.

My dear sisters, not a single one of us today are absolutely perfect and imperfection-free! But too many of us, rather than having reliance in what Allah has created and decreed, are instead running towards plastic surgery!

The hadith of the Prophet Muhammad Salallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam says to turn and go towards Allah Subhana Wa Ta’laa! NOT PLASTIC SURGERY! Subhan’Allah! (What’s so great about being plastic anyway!??!)

Hadith Qudsi, on the Authority of Abu Hurairah Radi Allahu Anhu, who said, that the Prophet Salallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam said, that Allah Subhana Wa Ta’laa said:
“I am as my servant thinks I am, I am with him when he makes mention of me. If he makes mention of me to himself, I make mention of him to myself, and if he makes mention of me in an assembly, I make mention of him in an assembly better than it. And if he draws near to me an arms length, I draw near to him a fathoms length. And if he comes to me walking, I go to him at speed.”
[It was related by al-Bukhari also by Muslim, at-Tirmidhi and Ibn-Majah]

Respected sisters, just recently in fact, did a program come on TV; ‘Super Botox Me’, where a journalist went to America to poke and prod her face with Botox, in the name of journalism, only to find herself getting addicted to wanting to look younger!

Dear sister, this pursuit of eternal youth has already been answered by Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’laa more than 1400 YEARS AGO!!!!
With every disease, Allah Ta’laa has sent a cure, except old age!
Plastic surgery is majority of the time the consequence of not wanting to get old; however my dear sisters this is DECEPTION!!!
“O Servants of Allah, treat your illnesses, for Allah, Most Glorious, has not sent a disease without a cure along with it, except for old age.”

My dear sisters, it is Allah who is The Creator (Al-Khaliq) and indeed, it is only Allah who is The Fashioner of Shapes (Al-Musawwir), so who gave us the right to recreate what Allah has already created? To re-fashion what Allah has already moulded and done???
With great wisdom is the doing of our beloved Lord, even how we look, though as insignificant as it may seem to us!

My dear sisters, constantly in talks, lectures, dars, etc, we will hear ‘have faith!’ and ‘have Iman, have Taqwa!’ but where does all that go when looking at the material side of things???
Thinking logically my dear sisters, which of the two makes more sense? To have as role models, the mothers of the believers such as Khadija bint Khuwaylid, Sawda bint Zam’a, A’ishah Siddiqa bint Abu Bakr, Hafsa bint ‘Umar, Zaynab bint Khuzayma, May Allah be pleased with them all, or, to have as role models; Jordan, Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Lopez and Beyonce????

Dear sisters, beauty is a subjective quality found in the eye of the beholder; it varies from one person to another, something I may find beautiful, another may find repulsive and vice versa!

So what is better, physical beauty or beauty from within? The beauty of Knowledge and Iman???
Do you know the answer? Not sure?? Don’t know???
The Ahadith of the Prophet Muhammad Salallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam are sufficient as an answer; Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam recommended Muslims to select those partners who are best in religion (Deen) and character;
‘The whole world is a commodity, and the most valuable of its commodities is a righteous woman.’
[Muslim]
&
‘The best properties are; a tongue which remembers Allah, a thankful heart and a believing wife who helps [to strengthen] one’s faith.’
[Imam Ahmed, at-Tirmidhi & Ibn Majah]
&
‘A woman may be married for four reasons: for her property, for her rank, for her beauty, and for her religion (and character). So marry the one who is best in the religion and character and prosper’.
[Bukhari and Muslim]
&
Furthermore in the Qur’an:
"Vile women are for vile men, and vile men are for vile women".
[Qur’an Surah An-Nur 24:26]

My sisters, the stated celebrities may have physical beauty but what is the point of possessing such a quality, when there is no Iman? When there isn’t even modesty!
A lot of the times (and I mean A LOT!), sisters use the excuse, ‘it’s for my husband’ or ‘I’m getting married soon, so I want to look my best!’, but that’s all they are sisters, just excuses!

Firstly, if something isn’t for the sake of Allah, then most likely, it isn’t worth it.

Secondly, yes pleasing your husband is pleasing to Allah, but not in disobedience or haraam matters (plastic surgery is haraam as it is changing the creation of Allah), however, why would a sister want to marry a brother who chooses the PHYSICAL BEAUTY of this MATERIAL LIFE, this TEMPORARY LIFE over a brother who searches in his spouse the beauty of Iman, the beauty which is deemed more worthy in Islam, and if he gets a wife who has physical beauty, than he is even more grateful to Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’laa, in addition to what Allah has already bestowed upon him!!!

Sisters if you pick the first brother (then it’s worrying!!) then I guess there is always the worry, that in later life when you lose your beauty and youth, he’s going to run a mile from you before you can even say ‘bye!’.

The scholars, Ulama, mufti’s, (whoever you ask really) all have divided plastic surgery into two kinds. These two categories are; Cosmetic Surgery and Physical or Congenital faults (a.k.a needed surgery!).Physical or congenital faults are such that are present from birth or that which result from an illness or an abnormality, such as turned-out lips, twisted fingers, or toes, etc.
Faults which result from an illness are scars left from leprosy or other skin diseases, or scars occurring from accidents or burns, etc.
There is no doubt that such faults/scars cause physical and psychological pain and harm, therefore Islam allows people afflicted with such things to remove or reduce them by surgical means, as Islam does not burden anyone.
Therefore, in addition any cosmetic surgery which comes under this heading of ‘need’ because of the fact that the reason for the surgery is causing harm and to result in a better quality of life is permissible, and not considered to be changing the creation of Allah.

However there are some cosmetic surgical procedures which are haraam and are not excusable, since these are tampering with the creation of Allah for the sake of beauty.
Such procedures include breast enlargement or reduction, procedures aimed at reversing the signs of ageing, face-lifts, rhinoplasty, Botox injections, collagen fillers, eye-lifts, liposuction, tummy tuck, etc. (the list carries on really!)

The Islamic view is these are not permitted as there is no urgent need or necessity for them, but rather the aim is to change and tamper with the creation of Allah for human vanity. And this is haraam as it involves the two things that the Prophet Muhammad Salallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam cursed; pursuit of beauty and changing what Allah has created.
It must be mentioned here alongside the above point, that going in pursuit of beauty being cursed, does not mean that one should not show an interest in his/her outward appearance and beauty:
Ibn Mas’ud Radi Allahu Anhu reported that the Prophet Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam used to have an interest in his appearance and adornment, and he also urged his companions (May Allah be pleased with them all) to follow suit.
&
From 'Abdullaah Ibn Mas'ood Radi Allahu 'Anhu, who said that the Prophet Salallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam said,

"No one will enter Paradise who has an atom's weight of pride in his heart."
A man said, "What if a man likes his clothes to look good and his shoes to look good?" He (Salallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam) said, "Allah is beautiful and loves beauty. Pride means denying the truth and looking down on people."

However cosmetic surgery is heading for excessive beauty and it alters the creation of Allah which is forbidden and Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’laa warns us about this, that the Shaytan says:
“And I will lead them astray, and I will tempt them with false hopes, and I will command them, whereby they shall slit the ears of cattle, and I will command them, whereby they shall alter the creation of Allah.” Whoever takes the Satan for friend, instead of Allah, incurs an obvious loss."

[Surah An-Nisaa’ 4:119]

One can define that what is permitted and what is forbidden from the two by using the words of Imam al-Nawawi Radi Allahu ‘Anhu, in his commentary of this hadith;
‘Allah has cursed the women who make tattoos and the women who have this done, the women who pluck facial hair and the women who have this done, and women who widen the gap between their own or others’ teeth for the sake of beauty, changing what Allah has created.’
[Sahih Muslim, 3966]

Imam al-Nawawi Radi Allah ‘Anhu, said:
“The woman who tattoos is one who uses a needle or similar implement to prick the skin of the hand, wrist, lips or other part of a woman’s body until she draws blood, then she puts dye into the wound. It is haraam to do this or have it done by choice. Similarly, plucking or removing hair from the face is also haraam, whether one does it or asks someone else to do it for one, unless a woman has a beard or a moustache, in which case it is not haraam to remove it. Widening the gap between the teeth is done by filing between the incisors. This is done by old women to give the appearance of youth and make the teeth look beautiful, because this attractive gap between the teeth is characteristic of young girls. When a woman gets old, her teeth get big and look ugly, so she may file them to make them look more attractive and give the impression that she is younger…It is haraam to do this or have it done by another because of this hadith, and because it involves changing what Allah has created, and it is a form of deception and falsehood. Widening the gap between the teeth is something that is done to make a person look beautiful, which indicates that what is haraam, is when this is done in the pursuit of beauty, but if it is were done as a form of treatment because of some problem or deformity in the teeth, then there is nothing wrong with it. And Allah knows best.”
[Al-Nawawi, commentary on Sahih Muslim, 13/107]

In addition to this all, cosmetic surgery is a preoccupation with this Duniya and a material desire in which is no benefit or reward from Allah, instead His wrath.

“Man’s worst enemy is his own ignorance and uncontrolled passions.”
[Quote from Abu Salman Deya ud-Deen, (Tawheed Language + Information Services).]

This duniya is a means of getting nearer to Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’laa and this cannot be achieved by the means of plastic surgery.
Cosmetic surgery is unnecessary and does not beautify one, more in the sight of Allah, for as Muhammad Salallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam says in his hadith,

on the authority of Abu Hurairah Radi Allahu ‘Anhu;
‘Allah does not look at your bodies nor at your faces, but He looks at your hearts and your actions (that come from the heart).’

Furthermore cosmetic surgery results in unnecessary and extreme pain, torture and suffering after the procedure has been carried out, having to spend days in solitary confinement, and eating a dozen pills and sedatives to ease the excruciating pain! And as we know one cannot carry out his/her daily Islamic duties including Salah when intoxicated or sedated, since one is as if under a spell and has no control on ones saying, actions or limbs (for example, like with alcohol) and furthermore It has been related by Imam Ahmad Radi Allahu ‘Anhu and Abu Dawud Radi Allahu ‘Anhu on the authority of Umm Salamah, may Allah be pleased with her, that she said the Prophet Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam prohibited every intoxicant or sedative.

In addition, cosmetic surgery is increasingly expensive, resulting in one squandering his/her money;
‘Verily Allah has forbidden you; disobedience to parents, burying alive of daughters, and demanding your rights while not giving to others, and He has hated for you: vain talk, persistent questioning and squandering of money.’
[Al-Bukhari & Muslim]
&
‘The children of Adam will not proceed on the Day of Resurrection until they are held accountable for their youth (and strength) and in what it was utilized, their time, and how they consumed it, their wealth and how they spent it and from where it was acquired.’

And last but not least, by sisters opting for cosmetic surgery, it is a way of imitation of the disbelieving women, since cosmetic surgery is a western ideology to material beauty, and therefore sharing their recompense.
“Those who have disbelieved in Our verses, We shall certainly make them enter a fire. Whenever their skins are burnt out, We shall give them other skins in their place, so that they may taste the punishment. Surely, Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise."
[Surah An-Nisaa’:56]
&
“- and so that Allah may purify those who believe and eradicate the disbelievers.”
[Surah Al ‘Imran: 141]
&
“The strutting of the disbelievers about the land should not deceive you. It is just a little enjoyment. After that, their resort is Hell; and it is an evil abode.”
[Surah Al ‘Imran: 196 + 197]
&
“The believers must not take the disbelievers as friends instead of the believers,”
[Surah Al ‘Imran: 28]

My beautiful sisters in Islam, we are beautiful as we are, we may not feel our faces, bodies, etc are 100% perfect in our eyes but we are in the sight of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’laa. And who is a better judge of everything including beauty than Allah?
“Is Allah not the Greatest Ruler of all the rulers?”
[Surah At-Tin: 8]

Indeed we are the fortunate ones who Allah has blessed us with physical beauty AND the beauty of Islam too, so should we not be ever grateful to Allah???
Keep remembering my dear sisters, we have well-functioning limbs, organs, all our features are in-tact, etc, truly we should be ever grateful for not having such abnormalities and faults we see today in society, where people have lost their limbs, their sight, their hearing, etc.

And my dear sisters, if we are from the ones who have such faults, then truly it is a trial from Allah, and we must be patient, for after every hardship is ease, my dear sisters;
“So, undoubtedly, along with the hardship there is ease. Undoubtedly, along with the hardship there is ease.”

[Surah Ash-Sharh 94: 5 + 6]
&
“Of course, you shall be tested in your wealth and yourselves;”
[Surah Al-‘Imran 3: 186]
&
“Surely, Allah is with the patient.”
[Surah Al-Anfal 8: 46]

My dear sisters, Allah says in the Qur’an:
“We have created man in the best composition,”
[Surah At-Tin 95: 4]
So must we continuously question Allah’s creation and ask how and why he created a certain part of us in a certain way??? If this is not ungratefulness then what is???
So my dear sisters, lets not have pride, vanity, greed, envy or jealousy amongst one another, which will only build a barrier in our hearts, and instead let’s continue to thank Allah for what we do have rather than moan about that which we don’t have.

Sisters, I speak to myself before anyone else, we only have ONE, VERY SHORT life to live, and no one knows when the time is up except Allah and who He has decreed to know, so let’s use this tiny amount of time we have to please our creator instead of pleasing and giving into our own nafs (desires) and those of the creation.

May Allah make us ever-grateful and learn to accept ourselves the way we are, Ameen! x

Wasalaamulaikum Warahmatulahi Wabarkatahu! xxx Mehak xxx

Where Did All The Muslims Go??????????....

Where Did All The Muslims Go????

Asalaamulaikum Warahmatulahi Wabarkatahu Dear Respected Brothers and Sisters!

Insha’Allah I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate myself and everyone else on another blessed Ramadhan which by Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’alaa’s Great Mercy, we have been blessed with!!!

May this Ramadhan be a source of guidance for all Muslims, and may Allah give us the strength to act upon that blessed guidance, Ameen! X

This post is to serve as a reminder to firstly myself and you (my precious sisters and brothers), about all that goes on during the month of Ramadhan, and how this blessed month is abused of its beauty and robbed of its true purpose.

My dear brothers and sisters, we must not forget WHY we are fasting in the month of Ramadhan…to please Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’alaa and to attain His pleasure and blessings, and no other material reason!
I can not stress enough why intention is soooooo important! Subhan’Allah!!!
For the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam said, every deed is rewarded according to its intention!

Furthermore, it is a common misconception amongst our youth of the Ummah that the month of Ramadhan is the month to go dead religious and after the month has passed us by, we can carry on like usual!! NOOOOOOO!!!!

The month of Ramadhan, is to IMPROVE on ourselves, to BETTER ONESELF!!! And to MAINTAIN that IMPROVEMENT, after Ramadhan has gone!

It’s easy to be all good and religious in the month of Ramadhan because the Shayitan is not here and we just have to battle with our Nafs (desires), wouldn’t you agree? Indeed the real battle is when Shayitan will unfortunately come back, tempting us with even stronger whispers!!! Subhan’Allah!

Abu Hurairah Radi Allahu ‘Anhu narrates ‘The Messenger of Allah Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam said:

“There has come to you Ramadhan, a blessed month which Allah has enjoined you to fast, during which the gates of heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed, and the rebellious devils are chained up. In it there is a night which is better than a thousand months, and whoever is deprived of its goodness is indeed deprived.”
[Al-Nasaa’i 2106; Ahmad 8769]
&

“When Ramadhan commences, the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are bound in chains.”
[Sahih Al-Bukhari & Sahih Muslim]

In addition, another common misconception is that fasting in Ramadhan is just about abstaining from food and drink. NOOOOOOOOO!!!! …again!

It is sooo much more, for we fast with our eyes, our ears, our mouths, our mentalities and our limbs!!!!
How you may ask?

Well, for your limbs, bear patience my dear brothers and sisters!!!!
For Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam said when someone is rude to you say,
“’Innee saa’imun, ‘innee saa’imun.”
(I am fasting, I am fasting)
[Al-Bukhari, Al-Asqalani, Fathul-Bari, Muslim]
&
Allah says in the Qur’an:
“O you who believe! Seek help in patience and As-Salat (the prayer). Truly! Allah is with As-Sabirun (the patient).”
[Surah Al Baqarah: 153]
&
“And Allah is with As-Sabirun (the patient).”
[Surah Al-Baqarah: 249]

Furthermore Imam Ahmad rahimahullah said:
“Allah has mentioned Sabr (patience) in over ninety places in His book.”
[Ibn al Qayyim- Madaarij us-Saalikeen]
&
The Prophet Salallahu ‘Alayhi Wassalaam said:
“The month of Patience, and the three days of every month, are times for fasting.”
[Sahih Ahmad and An-Nasaa’i]

Ibn ‘Abdur-Barr rahimahullah said:
“What is meant by the month of Patience is the month of Ramadhan…so fasting is called patience because it restrains the soul from eating, drinking, conjugal relations and sexual desires.”
[At-Tamheed- Al Haafidh ibn Abdul Barr]

For our mentalities, brothers and sisters, Ramadhan is just ONE of the tests Allah has decided to test us with, but only with patience, we shall pass, Insha’Allah, we must prepare ourselves my dear brothers and sisters, for no one knows what’s around the next corner except Allah and those who He has willed to know;
“And certainly, we shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits, but give glad tidings to As-Sabirun (the patient).”
[Surah Al-Baqarah: 155]

Our mouths and actions are also in need of control and self-restraint as usual but even more so in the month of Ramadhan,

for the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam said:
“Whoever does not leave off false speech and false conduct, Allah has no need of his leaving off food and drink.”
[Sahih Al-Bukhari]
&
He, Salallahu ‘Alayhi Wassalaam also said:
“Fasting is not merely abstaining from eating and drinking. Rather, it is also abstaining from ignorant and indecent speech. So if anyone abuses or behaves ignorantly with you, then say: I am fasting, I am fasting.”
[Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah and Al-Haakim]

And the same for our eyes and ears, we should lower our gaze (just like the other 11 months of the calendar) to protect our nafs and stay away from obscene language to maintain Iman and sincerity and to keep sexual desires at bay;
“When any one of you is observing the fast for the day, he should neither indulge in obscene language nor raise his voice. If someone insults him or quarrels with him, he should say: ‘I am fasting’.”
[Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim]

So this includes the music blasting from our phones, since in addition to being haraam, it contains words of an obscene nature and profanity (swearing), and most of the time derogatory words of a sexual nature (sexual references), both of which are haraam, but one should be extra careful to avoid such things in the month of Ramadhan.

So I ask, from amongst us, are there the ‘Ramadhan Muslims?’ paying no attention to the actual facts of Ramadhan, and instead falling into the below categories:
The streets are clear,
The lunch halls are empty.
Where did all the Muslims go???
No more music,
The caps and Hijaabs come on.
Where did all the Muslims go???
The mosques are packed,
The clubs are empty.
Where did all the Muslims go???
Fasting is here,
The smoking is gone.
Where did all the Muslims go???
The beards go untrimmed,
The eyebrows go un-plucked.
Where did all the Muslims go???
Everyone is racing for Tarawih,
And the Xbox is left untouched.
Where did all the Muslims go???
The Qur’ans recited with calm and beautiful recitation,
While the magazines laying about gathering dust.
Where did all the Muslims go???
Prayer rooms filled with Assalaamualaikum and hugs here and there,
The gossip of the women missed in the malls.
Where did all the Muslims go???
Brothers in Thoubs/Jubbahs spreading Da’wah,
Sisters found at all the Halaqahs.
Where did all the Muslims go???
…
All of a sudden,
30 days have passed; another Ramadhan has just come and gone,
The rewards gained, gone has all the hunger pains,
And life is back to usual as was once found…
…
The Masjids are empty; the clubs are packed again,
The crews are back on the streets.
The Hijaabs, caps and Thoubs are off,
Music blazing, the air filled with smoke once again.
The beards shaved to the cleanest shave, the eyebrows plucked thinner then ever before,
Completing Salah nowadays is unheard of; the Xbox is on again.
The Qur’ans placed on the highest shelf in the house, out of reach, out of sight,
The magazines are out; plainly in sight and reach.
The prayer rooms abandoned, the malls jam packed,
Gone is the Da’wah, forgotten are the Halaqahs…
…
I guess the “Muslims” are back!

Being a Muslim is not a part-time job, not a part-time hobby or something to do just to look good amongst the brothers/sisters for a change,
So I ask you…
Are You A Ramadhan Muslim???????????

So what did YOU ACTUALLY LEARN FROM RAMADHAN????

‘Erm….ooo…. that I miss my food man!! I’ll never abandon my chicken burger again!’

---‘We leave the blessed month of Ramadhan, its beautiful days and its fragrant nights. We leave the month of the Qur’an, Taqwa, patience, Jihad (striving against the sacrifices we face in Ramadhan), Mercy, Forgiveness and Freedom from the Hellfire…

Have we fulfilled the requirements of Taqwa and graduated from the Ramadhan School with the diploma of the God-fearing?

Have we fought our souls and desires and defeated them, or have we been overtaken by our customs and blind imitations?
Have we performed our actions in a way that fulfils the conditions for receiving mercy, forgiveness and release from the fire?

Many questions and numerous thoughts come to the heart of the SINCERE MUSLIM, who ASKS and ANSWERS WITH TRUTHFULNESS.’---
{Paragraph from Tayyibun Institute UK-Preparation for Ramadhan course pack-titled ‘Not just Hunger and Thirst’}

I urge you to remember this hadith of the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam, my dear sisters and brothers!!!!
“Whoever does not leave off false speech and false conduct, Allah has no need of his leaving off food and drink.”
[Sahih Al-Bukhari]

I remind myself before anyone else, I apologise for any offence caused for that was not my intention, any good from this post is from Allah Subhana Wa’talaa ALONE only the mistakes have been mine.

Jazak’Allah Khairun,

Keep the Ummah in Your Du’as, (especially at the time of Iftar, for one’s Du’a at that time is accepted, Insha’Allah!)

Wasalaamulaikum Warahmatulahi Wabarkatahu, x Your Sister x