Lubnah Abdulhalim

Deen (Religion)

GREAT CONTRIBUTIONS OF MUSLIMS TO SCIENCE

By Lubnah Abdulhalim September 22, 2016

By: Jin Khan

The Islamic world influenced the renaissance as well. The origins of the renaissance are generally believed to lie in Italy where renewed interest in classics had a huge impact on art and culture, but the foundation of the renaissance were laid much earlier and not in Italy but in a town called Toledo in an Islamic Spain. When Toledo fell to the Christians it’s doors were open led for people all over Europe. These people mixed with the Muslims who initially lived in the city. Learning their language and reading their books.

1) In 872, Ahmad Ibn Tulun built the first mental hospital in cairo which included music therapy. Bimaristans were described by European travellers, who wrote about their wonder at the care and Kindness shown to lunatics.

2) chemistry

Jabir Ibn Hayyan known as the father of chemistry or Alchemy which actually an Arabic word of Al-Kimiya invented many scientific methods including methods of separation such as filtration, crystallization, pure distillation.

3) Ibn Sinna known in Latin as Avicenna, his books his two books were an authority on medicine throughout the world for 500 years.

4) Ibn Al Haytham known as the father of optics. He was the first one to explain how the eyes see and first one to perform eye surgery. His work with lenses eventual led to the discovery of the camera. The camera is an Arabic word “Qamar” which means the moon or light entering a room in small processions “Qamra” or “Qamara”

5) The first practical Windmills ever used were in the 9th century invented in Eastern Persia however an earlier anecdote involving the second Caliph mentions about Windmills having been used in 634-644 A. D

6) When we talk about bulbs and electricity it would have never existed without Abbas Ibn Firnas.

He designed one of the first ever water clocks and devised a means of manufacturing colourless glass. He also was the first person to make a room which conducted electricity simulating lightning.

7) Influenced Western architecture.

The Great Roman Catholic cathedral in the middle of Cordoba town in Spain was first built as a Mosque by Muslims and from its design a century later similar designs were adapted by Northern Europeans, in Lincoln cathedral and gothic cathedrals in northern Europe.

8) Al Khawarizmy known as Algorizmi or Algoritmi, invented algebra and was instrumental on the calculus and in the development of trigonometry and the Use of Algorithm. His name itself was Latin of Algorithm. Without it we would have never been able to make computers or even phones.

9) Al – Zahrawi known in Latin as Abulcasis. Recognised as the father of modern surgery. He invented 200 tools of surgery and many of them are still in use today. He was also the first physician to describe an ectopic pregnancy and the first to identify the hereditary nature of haemophilia

10) “Amr Ibn Bahr” was the first man to discuss foodchains in his famous work ” The book of animals in the 9th century much earlier than Charles Elton who popularised it in his book in 1927

11) In 796 A.D the first brass astrolabe was built by Muhammad Al – Fazari. The astrolabe was a complicated astronomical devise that served many purposes such as telling time, compass direction and showing the position of the stars.

Creative Non-Fiction

REALITY BEHIND THE FRIEND ZONES

By Lubnah Abdulhalim September 17, 2016

One of the craziest thing in 21st Century are the friend zone memes. They are hilarious, heart-felt by many people and just one other way to make the sad situation of rejection sound funny. Well the memes afterwards escalated. It came to bro zone/sis zone (which is considered worse than friend zone) life zone, neighbour zone, mzee wa mtaa zone (the guy who is always approached by his female friend to solve her couple problems), father zone etc etc. You know at one moment we all did that ‘moment of silence’ thingy for all the bros in the friend zone…and behind most of the ‘hahaha’ and ‘HA HA HA’ in the comment section of friend zone memes there is a lot of pain hidden.

So recently there has been too much excitement on the net of the newly found logo for friend zone (which is the most common zone. I guess the root zone?). And it’s so hilarious how people actually believe that such logos are necessary?

As much as I find the memes to be hilarious, I don’t believe in the literal existence of these zones. I don’t believe in a corner where a nice guy is shoved in simply because he is too much a friend. Let’s be realistic, open minded and honest here. We all have what we look for in a partner or what makes a potential spouse. So…

No such thing as friend zone because I believe in personal preferences, choices, fate, priorities and decisions and not the life zones we justify with. You could be yearning for a partner with sparkling beauty yet she could be searching for a man with brains like Einstein? You could be after a man with an ambition while he is after a woman with twice his ambition? You could be after a lady with principles yet she is after a man with religion? Someone is checking his bank balance and someone else is after his humility. It all depends on personal emotions and interests, otherwise, everyone out there can be a potential partner. It’s nothing to do with anyone being in any zone. It’s all a matter of if someone has an interest in you or not. It is all a matter of compatibility and bonding on another level. It is about having someone to spend your entire life with. And sometimes, that lady or guy in the friend zone or bro zone or whatever wouldn’t be the best choice. IT IS THAT SIMPLE.

You could be the sweetest peach as they say, the nicest guy but maybe you just don’t have the one thing she has prioritized in a partner. There is no way around it. And most of the times people only try to be nice and not hurt anyone’s ego by telling them ‘You are my good friend’ or whatever people say. They just don’t want you to feel like something is wrong with you or you are not worth them; it’s all about what their choices are and sometimes it is as much difficult for them too to make such decisions.

It is okay to console yourself with the memes, to embrace your pain and to laugh about it because you are not alone. But no it’s not okay to use it as a justification of why someone was rejected. See that guy who made it out of the bro zone? The silly girl finally realized his worth and perhaps understood that what is missing in him; he’s got something better. Not just because he squeezed himself out of the tight corner called bro zone. It is because she has now made her choice and made him a priority.

One other thing that people never consider is that however CLOSE you are to another person, when it comes to the real deal of making someone your life time partner, things change. High-peaked emotions are included here. The way a guy is with his girl best friend is not exactly the same way he would be if the same girl became his partner. This is because we now have expectations, deeper attachment, love associated with every action. So yeah it IS different…and sometimes, people are better off as they are, where they are; in those hypothetical zones.

If you want to deal with this kind of rejection then you have to believe in the choices others make even if they are not the best for you. You have to believe in fate; in accepting that not everything is going to go as you wish. That sometimes the person you see the best for you is actually not the best? That maybe that person is just not ready for such commitment or they already have a lot on their plate and cannot be emotionally available? That everything happens for are a reason. That perhaps God is saving you a whole lot of pain that would come from being with that person. Well it is difficult no doubt but if you want to get over this, you better find a better reason to justify your rejection rather than the zones. Because all these zones? They don’t exist…

Guest Posts

NANI WA KUNIAUNI?

By Lubnah Abdulhalim September 8, 2016

Mwandishi: Sultan Karama Maji Male (kero)

Niipoketi katika fuo ya bahari nikitafakari kuhusu mambo mengi fikra ilipita katika Kina kirefu cha bahari giza totoro likiwa limetanda Kulia na kushoto, mbele na nyuma, juu na chini. Ama Kwa hakika maisha ni mti mkavu.

Nilijaribu kuleta tafakuri langu Kwa mara nyengine tena Kwa jambo lengine. Aaah wahenga nadhani hawakukosea waliposema Umasikini ni uvundo. Hichi ndicho chanzo cha donda ndugu lililo nisibu fuadini mwangu ila ni hadithi ya muda mwengine. Hebu turudi katika maukifu yangu nilioko. Nilisikia kuwa Mungu hamtupi mja wake. Labda msemo huu ndio ulionipa ari ya kuendelea kurusha ngumi na mateke kujitetea katika vita hivi Kati yangu na huu ulimwengu uliojaa na udhalimu.

Nguvu Za kurusha ngumi kujitetea sinazo tena na sababu Za kujitetea zilitoweka zamani. Kila mtu ana Mungu au kama vijana wa kileo wanavyosema “Mungu Tu” . Nilienusha mikono juu na kumuomba Maulana assuage wingu hili ambalo kunyesha halinyeshi ubaridi halileti na njia ya kwenda mbele limeziba.

Nikiwa katika maombi hayo nagundua tundu inayotia maji katika chombo changu. Wingu limeziba mpaka upepo na tanga imeraruka. Abiria wako katika hali ya kukata tamaa na baadhi yao tayari wamesharuka katika bahari tayari kuliwa na papa kuliko kuweka imani kwangu na kunipa moyo wa matumaini. Kwa mbali naona Abiria mmoja ameanza kuchoka. Anataka kuachilia ila anaogopa bahari isije kumsoza. Moyo unanivunjika na maini kunikatika Kwani sikudhani abiria yule atafikia katika hali ya kutaka kushuka katika jahazi langu. Huyu ni yule abiria aliekuwa mcheshi mwanzo mwa safari na kuwa na mazungumzo ya mtu mwenye upeo Wa mbali. Kwani ni nini kilichobadilika Kando na hali ya hewa? Nikiwa katika maswali hayo ndio naona kipote kidogo sana kinachonitia moyo.

“Nahodha kaza demani” ndio maneno ya kikundi kidogo kilichobaki nami. “Usijali tutafika Manda. ” Japo maneno yao yanatia hima kuendelea na safari ila ni muhali kuendelea. Nguvu zimenishia wala sitaki kuwaonesha kuwa nimekata tamaa. Ila ukweli ni kwamba ninasubiri tu amri yake jalali kwani mawimbi huzidi kuwa mazito na chombo kinazama taratibu sijui hali ya hewa itageuka au nitapata Wa kuniauni? Yako mengi ya kutafakari ila Wa kutafakari na mimi yuko? Ni nani atakaeamua kunisaidia katika safari hii ya shida na Adhabu? Aso na wake ana Mungu.

Creative Non-Fiction

5 REASONS YOU NEED TO DO CHARITY MORE

By Lubnah Abdulhalim September 6, 2016

Photo Courtesy: http://www.4charity.com/

Charity never required you to be rich or super holy or an angel in disguise or even an extremely empathetic person. It never required you to have any special talents or skills to give a hand to anyone. You don’t have to have more than you need to give but actually the best kind of charity is that which you give when you have little yourself.

Charity does good to us more than we assume or presume. It is never only about doing good to the next person but also about what it has done to us. It is not only about how happy you made that person by handing them cash that they badly needed, or how your smile made them feel better on that bad day or how you helping that old man cross the road saved him a lot of energy. Let’s talk about you now. Let’s talk about why you need to do more charity to please your God and own soul more than anyone else.

1.Charity is just one of those things that lights up your heart once you do it. It doesn’t matter how evil you think you are, you want to feel better about yourself? Feeling low and awful about yourself? Give charity, help whenever you can. It is never limited to money. Do good generally and see how it makes you feel like an angel that just dropped from the sky 😀 For real though, it has an amazing effect.

2.Think of it this way; God has chosen you to be the reason someone is eating a great lunch today or someone is happy or someone is finally able to buy those medicines they weren’t able to buy in forever. You are not doing that person any favour by the way, you are there because you were meant to be there. It is part of God’s great plan that you be the one to save the day. Doesn’t that make you feel like a ‘mini-messiah’? lol It should be a big deal to you actually; that God has chosen you from many of His creatures, to be the one to do the good to someone on such and such a day. So never hesitate to give that 10 or 20 shillings. Trust me, it does make a difference to the person begging out there (the genuine beggars that is, not these people who are just greedy and never have enough of what they have). So give, give, give!

3.It’s time to reach out to your soul. Your inner self has been yearning for some attention from you. It needs you to look into the dust and mess that is within…and that is what charity helps you do; mirror yourself!! When you keep helping people around; the sick, the orphans, the needy, it makes you think more deeply about the state of your soul, how good am I? how much more do I need to do to get my soul into the peace of mind that it needs. Charity can act as food for your soul. It makes you genuinely happy about who you are and what you do? It makes your soul bloom like a Spring flower, so what are you waiting for?! 😉

4.It makes you aware of how many blessings you have. I know you have heard of this several times before but seriously, it isn’t a lie is it? Whenever you reach out to people, even by just giving them valuable advice, you realize that many, MANY other people out there are having it rough than you. You help an old man cross the road, you realize how difficult it is for him to move around with how busy our roads are and how rough our drivers are. You feed someone hungry you realize that you have no right to whine over the breakfast that you missed…etc etc. Every single person we meet has a story and the more you scrutinize the world and explore the ways of humanity, the more you realize how you have no right to complain about the problems that you have.

5.The rewards? Of course from God you never miss your goodie pack. Blessings will shower on you like the fourteen falls 😉 Especially on such blessed days like of Dhul hijjah, what are you waiting for?!

Need I say more then? Just remember that whenever you do charity or good, you are doing it for yourself more than to the person. Keep doing good, be good and let good keep rolling your way!

Deen (Religion)

10 PRECIOUS DAYS OF DHUL-HIJJAH

By Lubnah Abdulhalim September 3, 2016

By: Abdulqadir Mahmoud

Alhamdulillah, here we are in another year, another month, where in less than ten days we will get to offer a sunnah of Nabi Ibrahim (as) and enjoy all that comes after it in shaa Allah. Yes people, it is the month of Hajj and slate forgiveness; it is the 1st of Dhul Hijjah, 1437. But before the meat, clothes and joy, we have the first ten days of this month that come before it. But they are not just any first ten days,

Allah swt says in the Noble Qur’an;

“I swear by the daybreak, And the ten nights, And the even and the odd, And the night when it departs. Truly in that there is an oath for those who possess understanding.” (Q 89: 1-5)

Allah swt specifies His words to those who understand because they are the ones who truly know their value, as Ibn Abbas RA reported that the Prophet s.a.w said:

“There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allaah than these ten days.” The people asked, “Not even jihaad for the sake of Allah?” He said, “Not even jihaad for the sake of Allaah, except in the case of a man who went out to fight giving himself and his wealth up for the cause, and came back with nothing.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 2/457).

Now, most of us have not realized this great opportunity because, even though some may blame it on the rainy weather, we haven’t internalized how great of a breather it is.

In this era of today, wrong has become so opened and celebrated that it has engraved in our mental capacitors that it’s of norm. Whether it is from those strokes of keys on the keyboard or that glance you throw when no one’s looking, or frankly everyone, all the things we do in secrecy or in public, alone or with others, they are still wrong, and we know it. You know the mere aspect of us being Muslim is such a big ne3ma and blessing, subhanallah. Having a Lord that you know looks at you, sees you and completely understands you and still loves you anyway. He swt knows how much temptation and tests, how much trouble we are in just trying to maintain our identities as Muslims, how thin of a thread we are hanging on to them and for that, even after giving us a whole month free from shaytaan with gates of Jannah wide open, Rahma oozing out from His Mercy (Month of Ramadhan), He decided to put aside another 10 days…10 days that He will make more dearer to Him than any other day of every other day that will be existent on this Earth. Subhanallah, how much of a ne3ma is this…no other religion bears any favors of such immensity, proportions, Alhamdulillah 3alaa ne3matil Islaam.

Now you understand what Allah swt was referring to as ‘those who understand’? Good. If not, re-read that paragraph until you do.

During these days, shaytaan will be on steroids trying to woo everyone because he knows their worth so stay sharp. The Prophet (saw) advices us to increase Takbeer (Allaahu akbar), Tahmeed (Al-hamdu Lillah), Tahleel (La ilaha ill-Allaah) and Tasbeeh (Subhaan Allaah). The easiest way to do all these is to recite the dhikr done on the day of eid. Besides, gets the spirit of Eid going. You know that feeling you get in the early morning when the mosques are doing the takbeers and mum’s busy in the kitchen and then you smile to yourself as you realize that it’s the day of eid, Alhamdulillah. So I want you to be saying these dhikr when you walk, stand, sit, lean…Man I want you to be snoring these dhikr. It is also sunnah to recite them out loud, helps to keep your tongues busy and free from shaytaan’s control.

Fasting. This is the most efficient way of both earning the pleasure of Allah and since shaytaan’s out and free, it’s another level keeping a clean slate. Fasting helps in this limitation. But just to put this ibaadah simply, can you imagine the Creator of the most humongous and continuously expanding universe to the smallest, tiny and most minute proton, neutron and electron of smallest atom, smile at the sound of your name, joy at the sight of you humbling yourself to Him through your fasting as He tells every creation to praise you and ask forgiveness for you, because you did that one ibaadah that only He can reward you, in the days that are most beloved to Him. What more better of a gift to your Lord than offering it on His favorite days?

Lastly, cannot emphasis any greater on Salah. This is the single most important ibaadah out there because its validity defines whether everything else you do in service of Allah matters, or not.

These days, they are a gold mine people. Try to utilize them aki. Fight that urge to get up from sujood, force yourself to recite word by word in that ruku’u, say dhikr everywhere you are and every time you remember to. These are special times, especially to Allah and pleasing Him… Every second counts ya akhy, yaa Ukhty, every second counts, every deed counts. Don’t ignore even the smile you give to your fellow muslim when you meet or to shake hands for your sins fall off as long as you have not retracted your hands. Take that dusty translation quran and read a chapter from juzuu 3ama, give charity, don’t argue with mum, help out dad, fight that urge that makes you want to open that music app or look at those hot and catchy pps, forgive that one who looks at you in that weird manner, it’s usually the small things, and they are shaytaan’s traps, don’t fall in, if you do, get straight back out and take this chance that only comes once in every allowed year.

Oh yeah, and do one good right here but sharing this to fellow Muslim friends and relatives. In shaa Allah you too will get a reward for that. Ameen.

Deen (Religion)

COMPROMISE

By Lubnah Abdulhalim September 1, 2016

By: Hassan Al-Basri

The word Hikmah (wisdom) has been misinterpreted for too long. It means to approach the people in the best way possible, to act in the in most appropriate way, taking that particular situation into account. It has never meant to give a false image of Islam for personal or community welfare. When Muslims are willing to compromise in all aspects of their life, we lose the favor of Allah, emit an image of weakness to our enemies, and lose dignity in the sight of our Creator.

All praise is due to Allah, the Just, the Bestower, and peace and blessings upon our beloved and humble Prophet Muhammad (saws). The most popular catch-cry of today’s generation is the word “compromise“. The weak consider it as harmless, the ignorant hold it as beneficial, and the misguided count it as essential.

This conclusion may seem extreme, but that’s the reality. In Islam, there is absolutely no room for compromise. There is no evidence that the Prophet (saws) ever did so, nor did his companions, or does the Qur’an provide scope for it.This stance also makes rational sense to those who sincerely dwell upon this topic.

A person suffering from a heart condition would be foolish if he chose to consume half of the medicine prescribed, and then took sugar lollies as a substitute for the rest of the tablets. Who is he cheating? Not the doctor, who sought the best possible solution for his condition, nor the pharmacist, who supplied the medicine. The patient is the one at loss.

Surely Allah, in His Wisdom and Mercy chose Islam as the medicine for the ills of humanity and the society we live, a cure for the cancer of interest and woes of politics, the mistreatment of women and the division of society, the nature of man and his insatiable desires.

Why do we Compromise?

There appears to be three main reasons why people will willingly compromise Islam, and those same people will choose those orders Allah has enforced us to follow, according to their own desires and substitute the rest with man-made systems.

1. “We are living in hard times, in a difficult society, and thus Allah permits us to compromise,because (now wait for it)…‘Islam is easy, not hard’”.

A Hadith also quoted is that narrated by Aisha (raa), who said that when the Prophet (saws) had the choice between two actions, he chose the easiest course. True, Islam is easy to follow, but not to the extent that we are permitted to change the rules set by Allah for our own convenience. When asked for proof for the statement we can compromise, they claim that our condition today is similar to that during the Makkan period of the Prophet’s mission. We should bear patiently like he did then, and act as he did in those circumstance.

The fallacy of this argument stands clear when we study the reasons why the Prophet (saws) acted as he did back then, and how later on in his life he (saws) acted differently. We are now living in the Madinah era, the era where the Qur’an was completed. The Makkan period could be seen as a temporary stage where the companions were trained and prepared in that special environment. But Islam was completed, finalized with the ayah: “This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.” (Qur’an 5:3)

Islam was then perfected, so by retracing our steps all the way back to the Makkan era is illogical. A cup full of fresh milk will be spoilt if only a drop of blood was to fall in it. Allah has never asked us to go beyond our capacity to please him, thus arguments such as “I must work in a Haram field because I have no choice” is an invalid argument. If our women must mix with men in the workplace, Allah never asked them to go to such extents. If we eat food, which is declared Haram, don’t expect automatic forgiveness, because no excuse remains. We have transgressed the boundaries. Where as most people use their own rationale to substantiate their weak claims, I have the Word of Allah: “Such is Allah, your Lord in truth. So after the truth, what else can there be, save error.” (Qur’an 10:32)

“It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he has indeed strayed in a plain error.” (Qur’an 33:36)

Do you consider our current situation to be much worse than that suffered by the Prophet (saws) and his companions, or the other prophets before him? Surely this is the same code enjoined upon the Prophet (saws) and upon us. Yusuf (as) went through many tortures, but never compromised, but instead turned to his Creator: “O my Lord! Prison is more to my liking than that to which they invite me.” (Qur’an 12:33)

It was not in the nature of Yusuf (as), nor in any of the Prophets, nor in any of the righteous servants of Allah, to compromise in order to gain some worldly benefit.

Yusuf preferred jail to falling for the lusts of women.

2. Another false argument is the apologetic one: “We want to show people a religion, which is easy and doesn’t require much effort, not to make people run away from Islam.”

In truth, people have been running to Islam because, when shown in its real light, Islam provides the solutions people have been seeking. They do not want a mixture of Islam with the Kuffir they fled. Showing Islam in a “moderate” or “soft” light will only give the wrong image of an already perfect religion.

3. The third argument is that we must compromise in order to strengthen Islam.

We must enter and join these institutions, join hands with the non-Muslims who are our partners in this life. This way, we can spread Islam, and live happily ever after.

WRONG!!! Again, there is no proof in the Shariah for this view, but rather to the contrary. Surah al -Kafirun is a prime example of this: “Say: “Disbelievers! I do not worship what you worship, nor do you worship what I worship. I shall never worship what you worship, neither will you worship what I worship. You have your own religion and I have mine.” (Qur’an 109)

Muhammad (saws) declared his religion to be that of Ibrahim (as). The unbelievers thus argued that there was no reason for them to leave their own beliefs and take up that of Muhammad’s (saws), seeing they were of the same religion. They sought to compromise with him, proposing that he should prostrate before their gods in exchange for them prostrating before Allah, and he could demand whatever he wanted from them. This Surah was revealed in an uncompromising tone, clearly dividing Tawheed (monotheism) from shirk (polytheism), establishing a true criterion, allowing for no further wrangling. This wasn’t the only situation. When the Prophet’s (saws) uncles felt that he was getting too powerful, they tried to bribe him with the gifts of this world. They offered him the leadership of Makkah, wealth if that was his purpose, the most charming wife if that was what pleased him, yet he refused all these because he only desired that the truth prevailed. Under such harsh and luring circumstances, he (saws) commented that if the sun were to be given in his right hand, and the moon in his left, never would he leave this cause until Allah will elevate it, or he would die striving for this cause. This was his prime opportunity; if it were in his nature to compromise, he could have accepted the leadership, secretly hid his true convictions, and later spread Islam after being confident and powerful enough. Rasulallah (saws) was known as the Trustworthy and due to this fact he (saws) was thus able to kindle the fire of Arab nationalism and would thus have united them. They would have responded gladly to his call, tired of their tribal warfare’s. Thereafter, he could free the Arab lands from the domination of the Romans and the Persians. He could have easily established an Arab state in this way, instead of bearing thirteen years of pain and torture. He could have made the people bow initially before his authority, then he could have used his position of authority to impose the belief in the unity of Allah, and bow before the True God. This was not what Allah desired though, and that is not Islam. Islam seeks the destruction of all forms of evil, through pure ways, not the manipulation of evil to reach a pure goal.

This is not possible, nor permissible. Even in a life or death situation, we are told of the rewards if we persevere and bear patiently. Ibrahim (as) chose to burn in the fire prepared by his own father, rather than to hide his religion, leave the area, and spread the Word of Allah.

If Allah (swt) or the Prophet (saws) have forbidden us to do something, we must believe with all our being that it is forbidden for our benefit. For example: Music – it is Haram (except the duff on certain occasions)…don’t try to change it around to suit your desires, by saying those favourite words we hear over and over again as justification, “I know its Haram ……but..?” If the Prophet (saws) forbade it, that’s it, accept it, don’t try and “Islamisize” it. You can’t, unless of course you think you know better? (istaghfirullah, May Allah protect us from this)

Another example is the issue of Hijab: Many Muslim sisters have even tried to “Islamisize” this act of devotion, which has guidelines and conditions. This stance is very weak…often justified by this saying, “But, if we look more fashionable, the non-Muslims won’t find it so hard to relate to us.” Wrong!!, as Allah (swt) says in the Qur’an: “Never will the Jews nor the Christians be pleased with you till you follow their religion. Say: “Verily, the Guidance of Allah, that is the only Guidance. And if you were to follow their (Jews and Christians) desires after what you have received of knowledge (i.e. the Qur’an), then you would have against Allah neither any “Wali” (Protector or Guardian) nor any helper.” (Qur’an 2:120)

No Excuse Allhamdulillah, we are provided with all the necessities of life. We have enough money to purchase Halal products and these are available everywhere, so we need not compromise in terms of our food. We can freely wear the required clothing asked by Allah, so we have no excuse not to. Our sisters need not mix in our universities or workplaces, because Allah never requested them to compromise Islam to gain worldly knowledge. We can choose our work, our partners, our lifestyle, yet we consider ourselves fighting some imaginary “Jihad” of the nafs. Indeed, you never had an excuse, and you certainly do not now, so cling to the path chosen by Allah; to all of it, for that is the only way we can dig ourselves from this rotten trough we have fallen in. We will inevitably fall if we prefer to attribute orders to Allah, which He never asked for. “Say you (O Muhammad): ‘This is my way; I invite unto Allah with sure knowledge, I and whosoever follows me with sure knowledge. And Glorified and Exalted be Allah. And I am not of the Mushrikun.’” (Qur’an 12:108) “And verily, this is my Straight Path, so follow it, and follow not other paths, for they will separate you away from His path. This He has ordained for you that you may become pious.” (Qur’an 6:153)

(Read more )http://justamuslim.com/compromise/

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Hassan Al Basir;

Is a friend,Humanitarian,Mentor,Listener and Future youth advocate Who is Struggling to make his Heart and Mind work together.

His thoughts and words of inspiration may portray piety that he struggles to achieve at Times,If you see him falter kindly make a du’a(prayer) for him.

His blog Justamuslim.com is a letter to the world Focusing on Deen Reminders and showing the world the beauty of Islam,Promoting peace,Tolerance and Justice among diverse Faiths .

Creative Non-Fiction

WHERE CHASTITY AND DIGNITY LIES

By Lubnah Abdulhalim August 30, 2016

Photo Courtesy: http://www.duniavvanita.com/

Well this is a very sensitive topic that I would rather not talk about at any other time because it draws a lot of attention, judgement and even when not intentional, it tends to step on people’s toes. However, I got a request this morning that I should write about it and I agreed. I guess the end justifies the means, which is speaking out openly in this case and hopefully, opening the eyes of our younger sisters and brothers out there.

Okay, I get it, we all do mistakes in our lives and perhaps letting go of your virginity at such an early age was one of them. I am not about to judge you, mock you or even condemn you because I know for a fact that everyone knows what is wrong and what is right. All I am hoping is that you are not going to tag others along in this mess of yours (for those who fall here that is). That just because someone broke your virginity you decide to break everyone else’s too.

Okay again, perhaps this is 21st Century where no one is allowed to ‘interfere’ with your personal life, not even your parents. I also get it that this is the era where everywhere you go, all that you read says, ‘BE YOURSELF. DO WHAT YOU WANT. LIFE IS TOO SHORT. YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE’ bla bla bla. Well yeah, these quotes may contain truths in them but it never really justifies lack of chastity. And as I had previously written about the Bermuda love triangles in my article ‘THE ERA TO NOT RUSH INTO MARRIAGE’, it is really scary that the person you trust with the most precious thing which is your chastity, is not only sharing a bed with you but with several other girls or boys too. And as they all say it…once you are into the game then there is very little chance that you are ever going to call it quits. Well, the mistake has already been made. Perhaps once, twice, or several more times but what are you planning to keep for your husband/wife? What is left anyway? If it is your beauty then everyone can see that. If it is your money then anyone can use that. But your chastity? Your virginity? That is just the one thing that is meant for only one person; your spouse. And I am intentionally generalizing the sexes here because very few parents actually care about their sons’ chastity. It is made to seem OK. Just because they are the men of the house? Or because there is no way to prove their lack of chastity unless they say it themselves? But how then are we ever going to convince our younger sisters and our daughters to remain chaste and hold onto their dignity while they see their brothers sleeping around with different girlfriends every two months and sometimes even with married women/men?

Love? Don’t blame love for your lust. Don’t even try to justify yourself with, ‘she is my true love. We’ve been dating for five years..bla bla bla’ even if you’ve been dating for a whole lifetime, it still isn’t right, culturally, religiously and even morally. Previously, when I was younger, I used to wonder why parents used to make such a big deal after a girl is married and the husband reports that she was a virgin. Like why such a fuss? Isn’t that how it is supposed to be? But then I grew up and reality of the world struck; youth have made consummation a life goal just when they hit 18. Or is it 16? Well for the Western world it goes lower than that. So perhaps it does deserve all that excitement; their child has done the one thing that children nowadays can rarely do; abstain.

Dear girl, boy, man, woman who is still saving himself/herself for her spouse, be proud of yourself. Be really proud because right now, you are among the rarest gems. Keep holding your head up and never let your guard down. Never feel left out or embarrassed that you still don’t know how the intimacy world looks like or feels like. You eventually will; when the right time comes and with the right person. But most importantly, pray really hard to God that you don’t slip like many did. That you remain as chaste and majestic as you are now because Satan strikes when you least expect it. So yes, pray that God gives you the strength to get rid of all temptations and that He grants you a spouse that you rightfully deserve.

As for the one who has already made the mistake, I hope you are not convincing yourself with, ‘I was perfecting the art for my spouse.’ Sweetheart, stop lying to yourself. How much do you think your husband is going to value you when he realizes you are used material? Even if he loves you so much it is never going to be the same. The same applies to the man. Nonetheless, if you have decided to let the past mistakes remain there and let bygones be bygones, then well and good, you have done the right thing. You may have lost something but you can always be better than the rest. And that is by repenting, growing closer to God and avoiding repetition of your past mistakes. And one more thing too is to try and advise your friends and young ones to not fall into the same trap as you once did.

Not to sound too holy, judgmental or anything, i’d like to end this with a quote by Ezra Taft Benson: ‘The moral code of Heaven for both men and women is complete chastity before marriage and full fidelity after marriage.’

P.S. This article does not include the rape and sodomized victims. By all means, we know it is never their fault.

May God guide us all. Ameen.

Deen (Religion)

I GOT IT COVERED

By Lubnah Abdulhalim August 28, 2016

Photo Courtesy: iface cover

We all have flaws, mistakes, things we are not so proud of. We all have things within us that remain buried; secrets we wouldn’t want people to know about. But sometimes we feel so helpless so we let people into our dark world, we tell them our secrets, our fears and our regrets. We allow them to see the real us by being vulnerably honest. And sometimes people get to know our flaws just by chance. They perhaps weren’t supposed to know… but the risk here is; are they going to keep your secret?

There are people who look so angelic, so pious, so good then you somehow get to know of their flaw, their bad habit that could ruin their CV, what do you do with that information? Call a press conference? Do an exposé or perhaps get a live footage to crucify them? Do you go around saying, ‘I always knew these pious people are hypocrites?’ And if the person was never pious in the first place do you go about saying, ‘look at the mate of shaitan?’ It doesn’t really matter how you do it; whether you just bad mouth them or go to worst extents of exposing them on social media or the internet, it just isn’t right.

You know people keep forgetting one important thing; that even the best of people fall in the trap of shaitan and the worst people eventually change to be wonderful people. We forget that Iblis was once the most pious creature in the heavens then what happened to him? We forget that we are all so vulnerable to fall in that same ugly trap that we crucify others for.

How do we forget the story of the very pious man who was approached by 3 brothers who were travelling for a very long time. They trusted him with their younger sister and that he be’s her guardian while they were are away. The pious man was as pure as ever. He protected the girl and would always take food to her place, knock the door and leave the food at the door before she came out. But shaitan started whispering in his ears, he started talking to the girl and that went on until he slept with her. The girl became pregnant and gave birth. The pious man was not yet set free from shaitan’s trap for he was convinced to go on and kill both the child and the girl. That once very pious man became a zannii, a murderer, a betrayer. How then are we so confident of ourselves when we wash others publicly and mock them for their misdeeds? How many times have we heard of very arrogant, very ignorant, very bad people who turned back to Allah? So who are we to judge and spread word of the misdeeds of others? Doesn’t it scare you that someday you could fall in the same trap or even worse? That perhaps the best way to do this is approach someone nicely and correct them, guide them, pray for them, help them and be there for them when they need to change? It’s true sometimes they don’t see the mistakes they are making. They see nothing wrong with themselves so they get rebellious when told the bitter truth about what they do. They may not accept your help. All you have to do is pray for them and keep trying. Give them space when they need one…but just don’t stop praying for them.

There are so many stories around us and since the time of the prophet of how people have greatly changed their ways. We are not better than those that we talk about. We are not any more pious or holy for pointing out people’s mistakes. Not unless it is very necessary and you are perhaps looking for help from other people to join in helping the person then it just isn’t right.

Human Beings are imperfect, we are prone to commit sins but the Worst sin is exposing your brother. In the Literal Meaning of Ali Ibn Abi Talib’s quote he says Never look down upon a Sinner because You never Know if he repents. Yes we are in Dark Ages (Akhir Zamaan) where Sinning Openly has been the order of the day but that does NOT qualify us to Uncover the Sinners. Look how the Prophet taught us: Ibn ‘Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: Messenger of Allah (ﷺ ) said, “A Muslim is a brother of (another) Muslim, he neither wrongs him nor does hand him over to one who does him wrong. If anyone fulfills his brother’s needs, Allah will fulfill his needs; if one relieves a Muslim of his troubles, Allah will relieve his troubles on the Day of Resurrection; and if anyone covers up a Muslim (his sins), Allah will cover him up (his sins) on the Resurrection Day”. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

One other very scary thing about life is that you just don’t know at what state you are going to die. You don’t know how low or high your imaan will be at sakratul maut. You don’t know how much you’d have changed by then. So before you crucify anyone for their sins, remember you have your own to repent for. This doesn’t mean it is okay what they are doing. Sins are sins. There is no justification. It also doesn’t mean they can get away with their dirty secrets. It just means you are going to give them the benefit of doubt where there is no proof, you are going to correct them but in a nice way and separately not in front of other people. That you are going to help them correct themselves when they need it. That you are only going to talk about it when it is very necessary to do so. Otherwise, when your brother lets you see their flaws and mistakes be sure to tell them, ‘Bro, i’m going to help you. I got it covered.’

Always remember this:

من ستر مسلما ستره الله يوم القيامة
Man satara musliman satarahullaahu yaumal qiyama (Muslim)
Translation: Whoever covered the disgrace of a Muslim then Allah will cover her shame on the Day of Judgement…

Inspiration

I LOVE YOU FOR THE SAKE OF THE BROKEN PEOPLE WHO NEED YOU

By Lubnah Abdulhalim August 23, 2016

Photo Courtesy: www.pinterest.com

You know if I told you right now I have realized that the world is square, you would tell me I am crazy. If I added that the square world is not meant for all human beings, that people should be living in mars where we all weigh much less, you would say I am totally nuts AND weird. But what if, just what if, a square world seems like a box to me; my own world and all I have to do is keep thinking outside it? Think beyond my own life? That maybe Mars is what I consider everyone’s world? And that is where I should keep focusing on?

All this doesn’t make sense right? This sounds worse than Greek. This just made you seem like a dyslexic person and you did not get anything. Or maybe, it makes a little bit of sense. Or a lot more. Or it totally makes sense. It always depend on who is reading this. Well, this post is dedicated to all those who could find meaning in my first paragraph. The message itself is pointless in this context but all this is about the ability in finding meaning. It is meant for everyone who could read between those lines. It is meant for every writer, every poet, every deep person, every humanitarian, every artist who sees the world with a third eye. This might as well be read by everyone. But this is specifically for you. For a special person like you.

One of the most scary things about writing, about being a poet or simply having the ability to connect with people; you become vulnerable to all kinds of judgments. You remain misunderstood for a whole lifetime. Your words are twisted. Your personality is scrutinized with a microscope. Your intentions are full of myths and misconceptions. You become more than just a name. More than just what you do or what you write about. You are no longer so and so the writer or the poet. You become so and so the complainer, the drama queen, the sadness addict, the black swan, the ranting squirrel, the word-attacker, disturbia, the over-reacting brat, you become the darkness itself. You become all people’s judgments together. You become just what they decide to think of you. And sometimes or most of the times, you can’t correct their disillusioned vision or their twisted thoughts of you. You can’t start justifying yourself to everyone. You can’t start telling them who you really are. Because if they really opened your heart for them to see what is inside you, they wouldn’t do any better than judge you for all that is within you. And funny thing is, when you post something on your personal account, they judge you and mock you for all the deepness yet if those same words are seen on a different page or even your site they will praise your master pieces. They will just take it like any other art work. But due to their shallow thinking and double standards, they mock you when it appears under your name because they somehow know you. Haha and trust me, these are the same people who would be praising and sharing Yasmin Mogahed’s deepest posts, R.H.Sin, Drake, Her blank canvas or her silent perception. Oh well but because this is YOU and they think they know you, they make you seem like a dry flower in a desert that’s desperately seeking attention like it’s water. Lol they would even be reading this and their twisted minds make them think that I am filing a complaint here too ? So yes, it is pointless after all.

Many a times I wished that I could do something else other than write. I wished that perhaps I could just be that crazy kind of a person who can literally ignore all that happens with them or in their lives. I’ve wished I could do anything else to survive other than write. You know like how sometimes you write something and someone quickly comments how weak you are or how you post something deep and they think you are always letting the world know what you are going through. Or how you speak out your mind and they mock you for it. I for one have struggled to keep writing because I just wanted to avoid judgments and speculation on what is going on in my life. But you all know the truth don’t you? You know why we write, You know why we have all those deep posts on our timelines, you know why we express ourselves and be brutally and vulnerably honest. You know it is because we see the world so differently, you connect with people too deeply, you empathize with people, because you have come face to face with darkness, because you know what it means to be broken and whole at the same time. So what if you post what you do? Does it actually define any of our lives? Not really. Does it make you any less human from the rest? Of course not. Does it make you any special? Yes and a big yes, because from what you write and say and sing and do, you are connecting to so many other people. You are the voice of the voiceless. You are someone else’s shadow and light. You are expressing what they would never have the guts to do themselves. So what if you are so different? You forget that you are beautifully different.

Whenever you feel you can’t write something deep and real and honest, remember that someone out there is actually counting on your words to feel better, to feel valued, to feel loved, to stand back up after the terrible fall. Remember all those ‘thank you, this is exactly what I needed to hear right now’, all those phone calls thanking you for making them smile. Remember all those comments and many more comments of people talking of their own experiences and how they relate to your words. Remember that you are someone special in someone’s life. That someone finds light again through you and because you pointed to them the light at the end of the tunnel. You are loved. And I for one, love you for the sake of all the broken people who need you. I love you for being there, even if not exactly physically, for those who are down and sinking.

Please keep writing. Keep doing what you have to. Don’t hesitate to speak out your mind. The world desperately needs more of you ?

Inspiration

WHEN YOUR PARENTS GO WRONG

By Lubnah Abdulhalim August 20, 2016

Photo Courtesy: www.etsy.com

Each one of us comes from a different background, from a different environment and from a different upbringing. Some grew up being showered with love and passion while some have always been on the ‘black list’ and the bad side of their parents. You may not always agree with your parents but one thing is never going to change; they brought you into this world. They are your parents. You are never going to have another biological mother or father. You are here because of them.

It’s terrible when parents don’t understand you, when they have too high expectations, when they set too many limitations, when they don’t let you follow your dreams, when they want you to be like them, when they favour your siblings more than you, when they are always complaining to people about you, when they discredit you publicly, when they always seem disappointed with everything that you do, when you are just not good enough, when they don’t give you the freedom you yearn for, when you are the least favourite child, when they are being hateful, when they rarely or never show you some compassion…yes, it’s terrible. It’s heart-breaking. It’s disappointing. It’s unfair. It’s painful. It’s definitely not what you deserve…

But one other fact is; they are your parents and however much they may be unfair to you, they have sacrificed a little or a lot more for your sake.

Most of our parents grew up in the era where compassion never even existed in their dictionary. They barely even got parental love. They never knew how kissing a parent felt like. It was that era that a father was supposed to be the head of the family, the master, the one to only give orders. It was that era where a mother never contributed in making family decisions, where a family was based on hierachy and no one was ever to take up another person’s role. The elder brother was as fierce as what he was supposed to be. And the father? He was twice that. There was no much bonding. There was no family time to discuss issues and everyone gives their opinion. Only orders are given…and when they are, you have no right to defer.

Times have really changed now. People have changed. Our era is the one where love, passion and compassion is encouraged. There is an emotional revolution and human beings are taught how to be humane. Well, perhaps the internet world has indeed done some good to us. We have been enlightened on the emotional needs that each one of us seeks. We have been taught how to be the best kind of people, parents and even human beings.

I know how depressing it is to be in this disturbing teenage-adulthood age where everything seems to be going wrong and maybe your parents are not making it any easier for you. We all go through this phase where we totally believe we are being oppressed. Like literally. You let that sink in your head so much that you too sink along. If you are in this phase, please remember this;

This is but a phase. Your parents love you even when they never show it. Wait…I know you are already about to interrupt me with ‘they don’t love me!’ But before you do, please rewind back to all the things your parents have done to you. Even if they gave you money rather than love…it may be the wrong way of showing compassion but that is their way to show you they love you. So yes, bottom line is that they do! They have sacrificed a lot for you. Please be patient. I know sometimes it is too much that you think it is better if you left home or if you were never born…but despite this bitter phase, I promise you that you are going to get your relief soon. Keep being patient.

Being rebellious will never make things any better. It wont make them change at this stage. They are way too old to change their flaws now. Act maturely by getting a grip of yourself during these bad times. Don’t act irrationally just so you can hurt them or annoy them. Again…be patient. This is your life test and they are your paradise. Never underestimate your reward of being patient with them despite their difficult habits.

When your parents go wrong, remember that their parents were twice as difficult.

That they hard a rougher time than you are.

That it is never easy for them to be the best parents when they’ve never known how best parents should act.

As much as they never knew what love is from their parents, they have tried to be better than their own. Please appreciate their trials.

Even if you don’t believe it, they wish well for you. Their ‘well’ beliefs may be different from yours due to the era gap but they insist, because to them, that is what is best for you. If you want to do it your way you can as well do it but in a good way without waging a war.

That they are also human beings. They also have flaws. They also need someone to accept them as they are…and who is a better person than their own child?

That someday you will also be a parent. Perhaps a much much better parent than your own. Perhaps you will right their wrongs and be real heros to your children. But remember that you too will have flaws, that your children will also dislike a few things about you. That they will be rebellious about some of your decisions…and at that time, you will really appreciate when your children try to understand you. You will really be humbled when they still love you irregardless of how ugly your behaviour gets. When you think of that, try coping up with your parents too.

Dear…when your parents do wrong, remember that it is your duty to be a good child. And what better lesson can you actually give your parents than proving them wrong? By showing them with your good actions how they should be treating you instead? And better still, grow up into a better parent than what they have been to you. Accept your mistakes when you have to and forgive them when they blame you over things you never did. As they say ‘mama ni mama ingawa rukwama’ (A mother is still a mother even when she is a cart) and maybe we can say, ‘baba ni baba ingawa tuktuk ? ( A father is still a father even when he is a tuktuk) Lol. Which simply means that despite our parents’ bad habits and difficult behaviours, they are still OUR parents. Let’s love and respect them for what they are. For the title they hold.

As for you who was blessed with understanding, loving and compassionate parents, appreciate them. Love them back fiercely…because many, MANY wish they could have amazing parents as your own.

Let’s all pray for our parents; that God guides them, that He gives us patience towards them, that He makes us better parents, that He forgives ours…and grant them paradise. Ameen!