Page 1 The Islamic Bulletin Issue 21 Issue 21 Vol. XXII, No. 27 in this issue Letters to the Editor.......................... 2 Islamic World News.......................... 3 Negative Factors that Affect our Heart. . 4 She’s my Sister .................................. 5 Stories of the Sahabas........................ 7 Women in Islam................................. 8 How to Lower our Gaze. .................. 9 The Things we Waste. ........................ 10 How to Cultivate our Spiritual Life. ... 10 Excellence of Some Surahs. ................ 12 Du’aas / Prayers. ............................... 12 The Most Beautiful Names of Allah.... 18 Islamic Science................................... 18 Ramadan’s Diet.................................. 22 Cook’s Corner.................................. 22 Kid’s Corner. .................................... 22 The Tricks of Shaytaan Against You.... 23 Help Support the Islamic Bulletin........ 23 The Islamic Bulletin Published by the Islamic Community of Northern California A Non-Profit Corporation P.O. Box 410186 San Francisco, CA 94141-0186 E-Mail: info@islamicbulletin.org Website: http://www.islamicbulletin.org Happy Ramadan! What if we made a resolution to Allah that this Ramadan is the beginning of the new me? As others make their resolutions for New Year, Ramadan would be a starting point as a new resolution for Muslims. What if we approached Ramadan as a whole month to practice this new resolution and work mainly on changing one organ in the body, the heart, and then striving to continue this life-style throughout the year? Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said that there is one organ in the body and if that organ is in good condition, the whole body is in good condition. If that organ is corrupted, the whole body is corrupted. And that organ is the heart. The heart is the center of man’s body and spirit. If the heart does not pump blood to one of the billions of cells, that single cell dies away very quickly. For the continuation of one’s life, the heart occupies a unique place among the limbs of the body. This is also proved by the fact that most deaths nowadays happen due to heart attacks and failures. So no one can ignore the significance of the heart in man’s biological and physical life. Now, if we return to the spiritual and Islamic perspective, the same is true. The heart is the center of a good ritual life, which leads one to Paradise. It is our heart that emotionally drives limbs to move towards the good. The brain that is the center of man’s intellectual capacity works according to the feelings and emotions of the heart. TheHoly Quran elevates the status of the heart in the spiritual realm to a very high degree. The most important act of religious life, belief (iman), is actualized by man’s heart before the uttering of the tongue. A good heart is defined very clearly in the Quran: “Men whom neither merchandise nor sale beguileth from remembrance of Allah and constancy in prayer and paying to the poor their due; who fear a day when hearts and eyeballs will be overturned.” (Quran 24:37) On the Day of Resurrection, only those who come to Allah with a healthy heart will be saved. Allah says: “The day on which neither wealth nor sons will be of any use, except for whoever brings to Allah a sound heart.” (Quran 26:88-89) In defining the healthy heart, it is a heart cleansed from all things that challenge what Allah commands, or disputes what He forbids. The hearts which fulfill the purpose of their creation always remember Allah and feel His presence. Such hearts are the centers of love for God andallHis Prophets (Maypeaceandblessings beupon themall). Theydonot allowany room for worldly concerns and lusts. Such hearts are classified as sound hearts and are free from evil. These hearts will benefit their owners on theDay of Resurrection, where therewill be no helpers, intimate friends, supporters, family, wealth, or riches. A Muslim with a healthy heart must dedicate it to its journey’s end and not base his actions and speech on those of any other person except Allah’s Messenger (S). The Holy Prophet (S) said: “Allah does not judge according to your bodies and appearances, but He scans your hearts and looks into your deeds.” (Muslim) Today’s life is a speedy world with fast food, instant photos, on-line banking, and a lot more. It is natural that we may get stressed out. Since a healthy heart leads to a healthy life, we should take care to maintain our heart in good health. We should first identify the factors that affect our heart and the factors we need to improve our mental health. To the best of our knowledge, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is the first person ever to have talked about the importance of a healthy heart. He (SAW) also gave some very good suggestions to maintain a healthy heart. Let us be aware of the way stress affects our heart and in turn affects our body. May Allah give us the knowledge to control stress, before stress controls us. We must remember that Prophet Muhammad (S) said: “The man who is merciful and kind hearted to every relative and to every Muslim will be an inhabitant of Paradise.”
Page 2 Issue 21 Dear Editor: Asalamu Aleikum My name is Malik Ali and I am a Cherokee Blackfoot American Indian who is Muslim. I found your August 2000 issue at the Islamic Center of New Mexico, in Albuquerque. I wanted to tell you that I enjoyed it very much. There are other Muslims in our group. For the most part, not many people are aware of the Native American contact with Islam that began long ago by some of the early Muslim travelers who visited us. Some of these Muslim travelers ended up living among our people. For most Muslims and non-Muslims of today, this type of information is unknown and has never been mentioned in any of the history books. There are many documents, treaties, legislation and resolutions that were passed between the 1600s and 1800s that show that Muslims were in fact here and were very active in the communities in which they lived. Treaties such as Peace and Friendship that was signed on the Delaware River in the year 1787 bear the signatures of Abdel-Khak and Muhammad Ibn Abdullah. This treaty details our continued right to exist as a community in the areas of commerce, maritime shipping, current form of government at that time which was in accordance with Islam. According to a federal court case from the Continental Congress, we help put the breath of life into the newly framed Constitution. All of the documents are presently in the National Archives as well as the Library of Congress. If you have access to records in the state of South Carolina, read the Moors Sundry Act of 1790. Almost all of the tribes vocabulary include the word Allah. The traditional dress code for Indian women includes long dresses. For men, standard fare is turbans and long tops that come down to the knees. If you were to look at any of the old books on Cherokee clothing up until the time of 1832, you will see the men wearing turbans and the womenwearing long head coverings. The last Cherokee chief who had aMuslimnamewas Ramadan IbnWati of theCherokees in 1866. Cities across the United States and Canada bear names that are of Indian and Islamic derivation. Have you ever wonderedwhat the name Tallahassee means? It means that He, Allah, will deliver you sometime in the future. Malik Ali Dear Editor: My name is Ali. I’m a 27 year old Mexican American or as some would say a Chicano. I wanted to share the story of how I became a Muslim. My life before was bad. I had no direction in life. I was wasting my life away by dropping out of school in the 11th grade. I would hang out in the streets with my friends ‘partying’, getting high, drinking alcohol, and selling marijuana. Letters To The Editor Most of my friends were gang members. I, myself, was never in a gang. I knewmost of thembefore theywere criminals and drug dealers so it was not a problem. Soon afterwards, I began to use harder drugs. I had dreams but they seemed too far away to make them reality. The more I became depressed the more I turned to drugs as an escape. One day a friend told me he knew where to get some marijuana. I was eager to buy some so I agreed to go check it out. We arrived at an apartment where there were a couple of people. We sat, talked for a while and sampled the weed. My friend and I bought some and were starting to leave when my friend said one of the guys was inviting us to his apartment. When we got there, he gave my friend a book and asked him to read it, saying it might help him out with his problems. On the way home I asked my friend to show me the book. The name of the book was the Qur’an (Koran). I had never heard of it before. So I read some pages and I knew instantly that what I was reading was true. It was like a wake up call. The Qur’an is so clear and easy to understand. I was really impressed and wanted to know more about Islam and Muslims. The strangest thing is that I used to laugh at people who went to church, and I sometimes said that there was no God. As a child I always went to church. My mother was a Seventh Day Adventist and took my sister and me every Saturday. I never was really religious and stopped going to church when I was about 14 or 15. The rest of my family is Catholic. I had always wondered why we were Seventh Day Adventist and the rest of my family was Catholic. When we would go visit my family back in Mexico, we went to a Catholic Church for weddings and Quenceniras (sweet 16 celebration). I did months of research on Islam. I decided to go to the library and check out the Qur’an. I began to study it. I learned about Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and the true story of Jesus son of Mary (Peace be upon him). The Qur’an stressed the fact that God was One and had no partners or a son, this was most interesting to me since I never understood the concept of the trinity. The Qur’an describes the birth of Prophet Jesus (P.B.U.H) and his mission. There is also a Surah (Chapter) called Mary and tells her story as well. I also studied about World History and Islam’s contributions to Medicine and Science. I learned that Spain was a Muslim country for about 800 years and that when the Muslims were expelled from Spain by the Christian King and Queen (Ferdinand and Isabela), the Christian Spainards came toMexico and forced the Aztecs and others to become Catholic. History and my Islamic roots was all becoming clear to me. After months I could not deny the truth anymore. I had put it off too long, but was still living the life I had been living before. I knew that if I became Muslim I had to give all that up. One day while reading the Qur’an I began to cry and fell to my knees and thanked Allah for guiding me to the truth. I found out that there was a Mosque by my house so I went one Friday to see how Muslims prayed and conducted their service. I saw that people from all races and colors attended the Mosque. They took off their shoes when entering and sat on the carpeted floor. A man got up and began to call the Adhan (call for prayer). When I heard it my eyes filled up with tears; it sounded so beautiful. It was all so strange at first but seemed so right at the same time. Islam is not just a religion but a way of life. After attending Jumha a few times, I was ready to be a Muslim and say my Shahada, declaration of faith. I told the Imam (prayer leader) that I wanted to be a Muslim. The following Friday in front of the community I said my Shahada -first in Arabic, then in English: I bear witness that there is no other God but Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad (P.B.U.H) is God’s Prophet and Messenger. When I finished, a Brother shouted ‘Takbir!’ And all the community said ‘Allah-Hu Akbar’ (God is great!) a few times. Then all the Brothers came and hugged me. I never received so many hugs before. I will never forget that day. It was great! I have been a Muslim since 1997. I’m now at peace with myself and clear in my religion. Being a Muslim has really changed my life for the better -- thanks to Almighty God. I hope my story Insha-Allah (God willing), will attract more Latinos and people of all races to the light of Islam. Asalamu Aleikum Ali, El Mexicano Need to contact us? Web Address: www.islamicbulletin.org E-Mail: info@islamicbulletin.org Editor, Islamic Bulletin P.O. Box 410186 San Francisco, CA 94141-0186, USA
Page 3 The Islamic Bulletin Issue 21 U.S. Postal Service Unveils 2001 Eid Stamp The Islamic Bulletin is proud to announce that the United States Postal Service unveiled the 2001 Eid stamp on Monday, November 13th, 2000. This achievement marks the end of a successful campaign by American Muslim Council to encourage the issuance of a Ramadan stamp. AMC also played a role in the issuance of the Malcolm X stamp in 1999. We are also grateful to our readers who participated in this effort by flooding the Post Office with expressions of support. Tom Davis (R-VA) and Dana Rorhrabacher (R-CA) introduced and passed legislation in 1999 expressing that Congress supports a postage stamp to be issued recognizing the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Tom Davis was honored for his efforts in this legislation with an award at AMC’s National Convention this past June. The resolution (Res. 220) stated that Jewish and Christian holidays have been recognized on US postage stamps, but no Muslim observance is similarly commemorated. The stamp commemorating Eid Al Fitr will be available in October 2001 just before the start of the month of Ramadan, 1422 Hijri. We encourage the community to contact the U.S. Postal Service in Washington and thank them for making a statement of recognition of the American Muslim community by issuing the Eid stamp. Mr. William J. Henderson Postmaster General/CEO USPS 475 L’Enfant Plaza Washington, DC 20260 E-mail: pmgceo@usps.gov Fax: 202-268-5211 A Clinic in Critical Condition By Teresa Watanabe, LA Times It began as an audacious vision by a handful of idealistic Muslim medical students: move Islam out of the insular immigrant communities and take the religion’s charitable ideals into the streets. Four years and 14,000 patients later, the UMMA clinic on Florence Avenue has drawn widespread attention as the only free medical clinic in South-Central Los Angeles and the nation’s first major Muslim foray into health care for the poor. In this spotless clinic festooned with Koranic sayings and children’s colorings of Winnie the Pooh, toddlers such as 3-year-old Anthony Jones sit happily through exams because of what his mother calls the staff’s welcoming nature. Vandals and gang members have shown respect by leaving the building largely untouched. But now the clinic is threatened with closure as its federal and city funds, provided in the aftermath of the 1992 Los Angeles riots, run out this year. To fill the gap, clinic founders are appealing to Muslims in a major fund-raiser aimed at raising the $240,000 needed to keep the doors open another year. Clinic director Yasser Aman, 25, and clinic co-founder Mansur Khan, 32, a doctor of internal medicine, represent a new breed of younger Muslims who are diverging from their parents’ more insular form to take Islamic social activism to the broader community. The Muslims met at UCLAs Muslim Student Assn. where it had started programs to tutor youths at juvenile detention camps and inner-city schools. To Aman and Khan, social activism is not an option but an obligation under Islam. Citing the Prophet Muhammad’s counsel to fix whatever you see wrong. The UMMA clinic is a case in point. As much of South Los Angeles lay in disarray after the 1992 riots, Khan and a group of about six Muslim students felt moved to reach out. They initially envisioned sponsoring a medical trailer to drive through the city offering blood pressure exams and other services. The students unabashedly made cold calls to dozens of medical supply companies and, in a year’s time, collected $150,000 worth of donate equipment and supplies: state-of-the-art microscopes, computers, exam tables and EKG machines. As the students searched for a trailer parking site, however Los Angeles City Councilwoman Rita Walters encouraged them to consider a standing clinic instead. Walters helped the group obtain a $700,000 grant from federal housing authorities, which it used to renovate an abandoned auto repair shop. Then occupied by homeless people and drug addicts, the slate-gray office now boasts a lab, a cheerful lobby and six examination rooms. The city kicked in a two-year operating grant of $680,000, which the bare-bones staff has managed to stretch out over four years. UCLA agreed to make the clinic an official teaching site and now sends dozens of medical students to volunteer as part of their training. A pool of 20 physicians - both Muslim and non-Muslim - regularly volunteer, treating ailments that are key problems in the surrounding community hypertension, diabetes and sexually transmitted diseases. The clinic serves an annual patient load of 5,000. “We wanted to show people that Muslims care about the rest of the community at large,” Khan said. He added that the venture appears to be inspiring Muslims nationwide. Not only, have donations come in from across the country, but Muslims elsewhere have started three other free medical clinics and have called with questions on how to start homeless shelters and other projects. For the mostly non-Muslim patients, the UMMA clinic appears to be living up to its name. Although the acronym stands for University MuslimMedical Assn., the Arabic word ummah means community. Tasha Jones, a 27-year-old food-service worker who wears an “I love Jesus” key chain around her neck, says the clinic indeed bridges religious and racial divides. She could take her three children elsewhere, under their government health coverage, but chooses to go to the UMMA clinic because of the time and care the staff gives. “It don’t matter if they’re Muslim or Christian,” Jones said. “They’re good people.” U.S. State Department Launches Site on Islam in America (Washington D.C. Nov. 28) - The U.S. State Department has a new section in its website which focusing on Islam. The new site provides information about the vitality and diversity of the Muslim experience in the United States. American Muslim contributions to every aspect of American life are outlined in addition to sections describing how American Muslims live, work and worship in our country. The website, entitled, “Islam in the United States,” features a fact sheet of facts and figures on the American Muslim population, official speeches from U.S. President Clinton and U.S. Secretary of State Madeline Albright, as well as other government officials. Ms. Albright introduces the website with a personal message. The site also features articles of relevance to the American Muslim community as well as selected readings, academic programs, related sites and a gallery of pictures of American Mosques. Visit the website at http://www.america.gov.
Page 4 Issue 21 Pride Most Islamic scholars agree that Pride is the biggest sin after Shirk (associating partnership with Allah). Prophet Muhammed (SAW) said, “If a person has even an atom’s weight equivalent of pride, he will not enter Paradise.” Envy Envy is a very serious factor that affects our hearts. Prophet Muhammed (SAW) said, “Strictly avoid envy because envy consumes good deeds as fire consumes dry wood.” Backbiting This is one habit most people knowingly or unknowingly fall into. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, “Do you know what backbiting is?” The companions said, “Allah and His Messenger know best.” He (S) said: “Backbiting is talking about your brother in his absence and about what he hates.” One of the companions said, “Messenger of Allah, if there is really that shortcoming in my brother what do I say?” The Prophet (SAW) replied, “If what you say is true even then you backbite him and if no such thing exists in him then you brought a false accusation against him.” (Muslim) Slander Slander and Backbiting is caused because of our jealousy towards others. The Holy Prophet (SAW) said: “Slandering one’s parents is a major sin.” The companions asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah! Could a person slander his own parents?’ He (SAW) answered, “Yes, if he slanders another person’s father, the latter would in retaliation slander his father; if he slanders another person’s mother, the latter would in turn slander his mother.” (Bukhari and Muslim) Suspicion “O ye who believe! Avoid suspicion as much (as possible): for suspicion in some cases is a sin: And spy not on each other, nor speak ill of each other behind their backs. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Nay, ye would abhor it ... But fear Allah: for Allah is Oft-Returning Most Merciful.” (Quran 49:12) On this same topic of suspicion, the Holy Prophet (SAW) said: “Avoid suspicion, for suspicion is the greatest lie. Do not be inquisitive about one another, or spy on one another. Do not outbid one another with a view to raising the price. Do not feel jealous and do not hold grudges against one another. Do not backbite, but be the servants of Allah like brothers amongst yourselves.” (Bukhari and Muslim) Dissatisfaction Prophet Muhammed (SAW) said, “If there was one valley of gold for the son of Adam, he would long for another one. A man will never be satisfied, only death will stop him from being greedy. Allah returns to him who repents.” (Muslim) The Holy Prophet (SAW) also said, “Richness does not lie in the abundance of worldly goods but richness is the richness of the soul (heart, self).” (Muslim) Anger Anger is perhaps one of the biggest factors that affect our hearts. We should learn to control our anger and follow the example of our Holy Prophet (SAW). He (SAW) said: “Powerful is not he who knocks the other down. Indeed powerful is he who controls himself in a fit of anger.” (Bukhari and Muslim) These are some of the negative factors that affect our healthy heart. We need to analyze ourselves regarding these factors and Insha Allah, try to remove these bad deeds completely in our lives. May Allah always guide us to the straight path and give us a good, healthy life in this world and in the hereafter. Ameen. Ten Sicknesses of the Heart... You believe in the existence of Allah (SWT) but you do not fulfill His Commands. You say you love the Prophet Mohammed (SAW) but you do not follow his Sunnah (Way). You read the Holy Qur’an but you do not put it into practice. You enjoy all the benefits from Allah (SWT) but you are not grateful to Him. You acknowledge Shaitan (Satan) as your enemy but you do not go against him. You want to enter Paradise but you do not work for it. You do not want to be thrown into Hell-Fire but you do not try to run away from it. You believe that every living thing will face death but you do not prepare for it. You gossip and find faults in others but you forget your own faults and habits. You bury the Dead but you do not take a lesson from it. Negative Factors That Affect Our Heart
Page 5 The Islamic Bulletin Issue 21 A true story translated from Arabic. Her cheeks were worn and sunken and her skin hugged her bones. That didn’t stop her though, you could never catch her not reciting Qur’an. Always vigil in her personal prayer room Dad had set up for her. Bowing, prostrating, raising her hands in prayer. That was the way she was from dawn to sunset and back again. As for me, I craved nothing more than fashion magazines and novels. I treated myself all the time to videos until those trips to the rental place became my trademark. As they say, when something becomes habit people tend to distinguish you by it. I was negligent in my responsibilities and laziness characterized my Salah. One night, I turned the video off after a marathon three hours of watching. The adhan softly rose in that quiet night. I slipped peacefully into my blanket. Her voice carried from her prayer room. “Yes? Would you like anything Noorah?” I said. With a sharp needle she popped my plans. “Don’t sleep before you pray Fajr!” “Agh...there’s still an hour before Fajr, that was only the first Adhan!” With those loving pinches of hers, she called me closer. She was always like that, even before the fierce sickness shook her spirit and shut her in bed. “Hanan can you come sit beside me?” I could never refuse any of her requests, you could touch the purity and sincerity. “Yes, Noorah?” “Please sit here.” “OK, I”m sitting. What’s on your mind?” With the sweetest mono voice she began reciting: “Every soul shall taste death and you will merely be repaid your earnings on Resurrection Day.” (Quran 3:185) She stopped thoughtfully. Then she asked, “Do you believe in death?” “Of course I do.” “Do you believe that you shall be responsible for whatever you do, regardless of how small or large?” “I do, but Allah is Forgiving and Merciful and I’ve got a long life waiting for me.” “Stop it Hanan ... aren’t you afraid of death and it’s abruptness? Look at Hind. She was younger than you but she died in a car accident. So did so and so, and so and so. Death is age-blind and your age could never be a measure of when you shall die.” The darkness of the room filled my skin with fear. “I’m scared of the dark and now you made me scared of death, how am I supposed to go to sleep now. Noorah, I thought you promised you’d go with us on vacation during the summer break.” Impact. Her voice broke and her heart quivered. “I might be going on a long trip this year Hanan, but somewhere else. Just maybe. All of our lives are in Allah’s hands and we all belong to Him.” My eyes welled and the tears slipped down both cheeks. I pondered my sisters’ grizzly sickness, how the doctors had informed my father privately that there was not much hope that Noorah was going to outlive the disease. She wasn’t told though. Who hinted to her? Or was it that she could sense the truth? “What are you thinking about Hanan?” Her voice was sharp. “Do you think I am just saying this because I am sick? Uh - uh. In fact, I may live longer than people who are not sick. And you Hanan, how long are you going to live? Twenty years, maybe? Forty? Then what?” Through the dark she reached for my hand and squeezed gently. “There’s no difference between us; we’re all going to leave this world to live in Paradise or agonize in Hell. Listen to the words of Allah: “Anyone who is pushed away from the Fire and shown into Jannah will have triumphed.” (Quran 3:185) I left my sister’s room dazed, her words ringing in my ears: May Allah guide you Hanan - don’t forget your prayer. Eight o’clock in the morning. Pounding on my door. I don’t usually wake up at this time. Crying. Confusion. O Allah, what happened? Noorahs condition became critical after Fajr, they took her immediately to the hospital ... Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un. There wasn’t going to be any trips this summer. It was written that I would spend the summer at home. She’s My Sister
Page 6 Issue 21 After an eternity. It was one o’clock in the afternoon. Mother phoned the hospital. “Yes. You can come and see her now.” Dad’s voice had changed, mother could sense something had gone deathly wrong. We left immediately. Where was that avenue I used to travel and thought was so short? Why was it so long now, so very long. Where was the cherished crowd and traffic that would give me a chance to gaze left and right. Everyone, just move out of our way. Mother was shaking her head in her hands crying as she made dua’a for her Noorah. We arrived at the hospitals main entrance. One man was moaning, another was involved in an accident and a third’s eyes were iced, you couldn’t tell if he was alive or dead. We skipped stairs to Noorahs floor. She was in intensive care. The nurse approached us. “Let me take you to her.” As we walked down the aisles the nurse went on expressing how sweet a girl Noorah was. She reassured Mother somewhat that Noorah’s condition had gotten better than what it was in the morning. “Sorry. No more than one visitor at a time.” This was the intensive care unit. Through the small window in the door and past the flurry of white robes I caught my sisters eyes. Mother was standing beside her. After two minutes, mother came out unable to control her crying. “You may enter and say Salam to her on condition that you do not speak too long,” they told me. “Two minutes should be enough.” “How are you Noorah? You were fine last night sister, what happened?” We held hands, she squeezed harmlessly. “Even now, Alhamdulillah, I’m doing fine.” “Alhamdulillah...but...your hands are so cold.” I sat on her bedside and rested my fingers on her knee. She jerked it away. “Sorry... did I hurt you?” “No, it is just that I remembered Allah’s words: ‘Waltafatul saaqu bil saaq.’ (One leg will be wrapped to the other leg [in the death shroud]) (Quran 75:29) .” “Hanan pray for me. I may be meeting the first day of the hearafter very soon. It is a long journey and I haven’t prepared enough good deeds in my suitcase.” A tear escaped my eye and ran down my cheek at her words. I cried and she joined me. The room blurred away and left us two sisters - to cry together. Rivulets of tears splashed down on my sister’s palm which I held with both hands. At home and upstairs in my room, I watched the sun pass away with a sorrowful day. Silence mingled in our corridors. A cousin came in my room, another. The visitors were many and all the voices from downstairs stirred together. Only one thing was clear at that point: Noorah had died! I stopped distinguishing who came and who went. I couldn’t remember what they said. O Allah, where was I? What was going on? I couldn’t even cry anymore. Later that week they told me what had happened. Dad had taken my hand to say goodbye to my sister for the last time, I had kissed Noorah’s head. I remember only one thing though, seeing her spread on that bed, the bed that she was going to die on. I remembered the verse she recited: “One leg will be wrapped to the other leg (in the death shroud)” ...and I knew too well the truth of the next verse: “The drive on that day we be to your Lord (Allah)!” (Quran 75:29-30) I tiptoed into her prayer room that night. Staring at the quiet dressers and silenced mirrors, I treasured who it was that had shared my mother’s stomach with me. Noorah was my twin sister. I remembered who I had swapped sorrows with. Who had comforted my rainy days. I remembered who had prayed for my guidance and who had spent so many tears for so many long nights telling me about death and accountability. May Allah save us all! Tonight is Noorah’s first night that she shall spend in her tomb. O Allah, have mercy on her and illumine her grave. This was her Qur’an, her prayer mat and this was the spring rose-colored dress that she told me she would hide until she got married, the dress she wanted to keep just for her husband. I remembered my sister and cried over all the days that I had lost. I prayed to Allah to have mercy on me, accept me and forgive me. I prayed to Allah to keep her firm in her grave as she always liked to mention in her supplications. At that moment, I stopped. I asked myself: what if it was I who had died? Where would I be moving on to? Fear pressed me and the tears began all over again. Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar... The first adhan rose softly from the Masjid, how beautiful it sounded this time. I felt calm and relaxed as I repeated the Muadhdhins call. I wrapped the shawl around my shoulders and stood to pray Fajr. I prayed as if it was my last prayer, a farewell prayer, just like Noorah had done yesterday. It had been her last Fajr. Now and insha’ Allah for the rest of my life, if I awake in the mornings I do not count on being alive by evening, and in the evening I do not count on being alive by morning. We are all going on Noorah’s journey. What have we prepared for it?
Page 7 The Islamic Bulletin Issue 21 Umar bin Khattab (ra) Left 18 Statements of Hikmah (Wisdom) 1- When someone transgresses upon your rights (and in doing so disobeys Allah), the way to ‘revenge’ is to obey Allah in dealing with him (use reason/ rules instead of anger). 2-When something comes to you from your brother, accept it as something good, unless you have overwhelming evidence against it (hush dhann- thinking good of people). 3- Don’t take the word of a Muslim as ill. When there is a way of seeing it positively, take it that way. Find one good interpretation out of 10. 4- Avoid positions that will make others doubt you. (i.e. disobey Allah publicly, hang out with people who don’t care, at all time and places). 5- Do not blame others. When you have a secret, its under your control, but when you tell someone else, that control is not yours anymore. People fall under different factors and pressures, so do not blame others. 6- Always take care of the brothers and sisters of truth. Be with them always. They will protect you. They are always a beautiful ornament. In good times you will have ease, and in time of difficulty, you will have protection and support. 7- Be strict and careful in choosing your friends. 8- Always be with the truth even against your own life. 9- Don’t indulge in that which is meaningless. Every moment of our life is meaningful-use it to worship Allah (SWT). 10- Don’t ask about that which didn’t happen. You already have enough to deal with, be practical, deal with immediate problems not the future of ghayb (unseen). 11- Don’t ask for your need to be fulfilled from someone who wouldn’t like your need to be fulfilled. Try to be self-sufficient as individuals and as an ummah, Muslims of early generation were poor but didn’t lower themselves. Always be with dignity. 12- Don’t be neglectful or careless in swearing by the name of Allah. Otherwise, Allah will bring punishment on you. 13- Don’t be in the company of fajaar (those who commit major sins openly and don’t care). You WILL be affected. Your own behavior changes little by little. Be in the company of people who remind you of Allah. 14- Be aware of your enemy. Be careful, alert, and prepared. 15- Remember death. Visit the graveyards, try to be in kushuu’. If you can’t cry, force yourself to. Try to be humble in front of the Creator, the One who gives life and takes it away. 16- Be HUMBLE in acts of obedience to Allah. No one will protect us but Allah. Seek protection from Allah in Allah. 17- Seek tawbaah (forgiveness) immediately, be determined. 18- Consult in your matters those who have kashiyaah (fear of Allah and always conscious of Him), because those who have kashiyaah are the ones that truly have ilm (Knowledge).
Page 8 and the respect women are looking for is diminishing in this way Issue 21 Experience of a Converted Hindu Woman By Sr. Nur I came from a purely Hindu family where we were always taught to regard ourselves (i.e. women) as beings who were eventually to be married off and have children and serve the husband - whether he was kind or not. Other than this I found that there were a lot of things which really oppressedwomen, such as: If awomanwas widowed, she would always have to wear a white sari (outfit), eat vegetarian meals, cut her hair short, and never remarry. The bride always had to pay the dowry (bridal money) to the husband’s family. And the husband could ask for anything, irrespective of whether the bride would have difficulty giving it. Not only that, if after marriage she was not able pay the full dowry she would be both emotionally and physically tortured, and could end up being a victimof ‘kitchen death’ where the husband, or both the mother-in-law and the husband try to set fire to the wife while she is cooking or is in the kitchen, and try to make it look like an accidental death. More and more of these instances are taking place. The daughter of a friend of my own father’s had the same fate last year! In addition to all this, men in Hinduism are treated literally as among the gods. In one of the religious Hindu celebrations, unmarried girls pray for and worship an idol representing a particular god (Shira) so that they may have husbands like him. Even my own mother had asked me to do this. This made me see that the Hindu religion which is based on superstitions and things that have no manifest proof, but were merely traditions which oppressed women could not be right. Consequently, when I came to England to study, I thought that at least this is a country which gives equal rights to men and women, and does not oppress them. We all have the freedom to do as we like, I thought. Well, as I started to meet people and make new friends, learn about this new society, and go to all the places my friends went to in order to ‘socialize’ (bars, dance halls, etc.). I realized that this ‘equality’ was not so true in practice as it was in theory. Outwardly,womenwere seen tobegivenequal rights ineducation,work, and so forth, but in realitywomenwere still oppressed inadifferent,more subtleway.When I went withmy friends to those places they hung out at, I found everybody interested to talk tome and I thought that was normal. But it was only later that I realized how naive I was, and recognized what these people were really looking for. I soon began to feel uncomfortable, as if I was not myself. I had to dress in a certain way so that people would likeme, andhad to talk ina certainway toplease them. I soon found that I was feelingmoreandmoreuncomfortable, less and lessmyself, yet I could not get out. Everybody was saying they were enjoying themselves, but I don’t call this enjoying. I think women in this way of life are oppressed; they have to dress in a certain way in order to please and appear more appealing, and also talk in a certain way so people like them. During this time I had not thought about Islam, even though I had some Muslimacquaintances. But I felt I really had todo something, to find something that Iwouldbehappyandsecurewith, andwouldfeel respectedwith. Something tobelieve inthat is therightbelief,becauseeverybodyhasabelief that they live according to. If having fun by getting off with other people is someone’s belief, they do this. If making money is someone’s belief, they doeverything toachieve this. If theybelievedrinking is oneway toenjoy life then they do it. But I feel all this leads to nowhere; no one is truly satisfied, In these days of so called ‘society of equal rights’, you are expected to have a boyfriend (or you’re weird!) and to not be a virgin. So this is a form of oppression even though some women do not realize it. When I came to Islam, it was obvious that I had finally found permnent security. A religion, a belief that was so complete and clear in every aspect of life. Many people have a misconception that Islam is an oppressive religion where women are covered from head to toe, and are not allowed any freedom or rights. In fact, women in Islam are given more rights, and have been for the past 1400 years, compared to the only-recently rights given to non-Muslimwomen in some western and some other societies. But there are, even now, societies where women are still oppressed, as I mentioned earlier in relation to Hindu women. Muslim women have the right to inheritance. They have the right to run their own trade and business. They have the full right to ownership, property, disposal over their wealth to which the husband has no right. They have the right to education, a right to refuse marriage as long as this refusal is according to reasonable and justifiable grounds. The Qur’an itself, which is the Word of God, contains many verses commanding men to be kind to their wives and stressing the rights of women. Islam gives the right set of rules, because they are NOT made by men, but made by God; hence it is a perfect religion. Quite often Muslim women are asked why they are covered from head to toe, and are told that this is oppression - it is not. In Islam, marriage is an important part of life, the making of the society. Therefore, a woman should not go around showing herself to everybody, only for her husband. Even the man is not allowed to show certain parts of his body to none but his wife. In addition, God has commanded Muslimwomen to cover themselves for their modesty: ‘O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) over their bodies (when outdoors). That is most convenient that they could be known as such (i.e. decent and chaste) and not molested.’ (Qur’an 33:59) Another point I’d like to comment on is that the rules and regulation laid down in Islam by God do not apply just to women but to men also. There is no intermingling and free-running between men and women for the benefit of both. Whatever God commands is right, wholesome, pure and beneficial to mankind; there is no doubt about that. A verse in the Qur’an explains this concept clearly: “Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and protect their private parts (i.e. from indecency, illegal sexual acts, etc.); that will make forgreaterpurityfor them.AndGodiswellawareofwhat theydo.Andsay to thebelievingwomen that theyshould lower their gazeandprotect their privateparts (fromindecency, illegal sexual intercourse,etc.),andthat they shouldnot display their beauty andornaments...” (Quran24:31) When I put on my hijab (veil), I was really happy to do it. In fact, I really want to do it. When I put on the hijab, I felt a great sense of satisfaction and happiness. Satisfied that I had obeyed God’s command and happy with the good and blessings that come with it. I have felt secure and protected. In fact people respect me more for it. I could really see the difference in behavior towards me. Finally, I’d like to say that I had accepted Islam not blindly, or under any compulsion. In the Qur’an itself there is a verse which says, ‘Let there be no compulsion in religion’. I accepted Islam with conviction. I have seen, been there, done that, and seen both sides of the story. I know and have experienced what the other side is like, and I know that I have done the right thing. Islam does not oppress women, but rather Islam liberates them and gives them the respect they deserve. Islam is the religion God has chosen for the whole of mankind. Those who accept it are truly liberated from the chains and shackles of mankind whose ruling and legislating necessitates nothing but the oppression of one group by another and the exploitation and oppression of one sex by the other. This is not the case of Islam which truly liberated women and gave them an individuality not given by any other authority.
Page 9 The Islamic Bulletin Issue 21 Sabeel Ahmed “If I were not a Muslim, I would have contacted AIDS!” proclaimed my friend. “The ayahs in Sura Nur about lowering our gazes don’t affect me anymore”, expressed another youth, talking about the intense temptations felt by today’s youth. Difficulty in lowering the gaze by both the young and old is readily perceived on the street, weddings, parties and even in the Masjids. What has gone wrong with our Ummah? Why are we adopting the attitudes and routes of the non-believers? How can we rectify ourselves? What follows are a series of practical advice which can work for us and set us free from Satan’s stronghold, insha Allah. Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: “I have not left a fitnah (trial, calamity or cause for calamity) after me more than (the fitnah) with women for men.” (Bukhari and Muslim) Our Prophet also related: “The world is sweet and verdant, and Allah having put you in it in your turn watches how you act; so fear the world and fear women, for the first trial of the Bani Israel had to do with women.” (Muslim) Being optimistic, a ray of hope was also wisely provided during Prophet’s Last Sermon on way to avoid the above pitfall: “If the Ummah hold on to the Quran and the Sunnah, it will not go astray.” When Allah created us humans with all the desires and urges, He also revealed to us sufficient and complete guidance to contain them through proper channels. All we need to do is seek this guidance, contemplate on it and implement it. “This day I have perfected your deen for you, completed my favors upon you and chosen Islam as your deen.” (Quran 5:3) Realize the fact that the great Sahabas were humans beings too. Biologically they were no different from us, they too had desires and temptations of the human species, and yet they controlled them in the best of ways. We can too, insha Allah. To possess sensual passions is Human, to control them is Muslim. When confronted with a luring situation, like passing by a woman on the street, office, or a school, Satan is constantly tempting us to glare at her with evil thoughts. Satan is probably excitingly saying with a big smile ‘Yes’, ‘Yes’, ‘Yes’, when we steer into the bait he is setting. During these situations immediately and consciously realize that when we give a second or following glances, we are obeying Satan. “O you who believe, follow not the footsteps of the devil...” (Quran 24:21) By immediately averting our gazes and disobeying Satan, we are giving him a punch in the face which leaves him frustrated, accursed and defeated. Satan rebelled and was expelled by Allah. Let’s all rebel against Satan then and expel him from our hearts. Satan intents to fight a war against the believers, so let’s gather our forces behind Quran and Sunnah and defeat him. Remember that even if no human eye is watching us, the ever watchful Allah is constantly monitoring the innermost regions of our heart. Our eyes, limbs, tongue and private parts will all be witnesses for or against us on the Day of Judgment and not an atom’s worth of our deeds will remain unexamined. Psychologically, our minds are conditioned to associate our thoughts of stealing clothes from a store to being in handcuffs and hauled into a police van. Likewise, we should condition our minds to bring the verses of Surah Nur in front of our eyes during any tempting situation and imagine that during that particular instance Allah (SWT) is speaking to us directly: “Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty, that will make for greater purity for them. Say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; O you believers! Turn you all together towards Allah that you may attain success.” (Quran 24:30-31) What a beautiful guidance and what a sublime reward for implementing it. With practice, the above associations and the remembrance of Allah during tempting situations will prevent us from getting stuck by devilish arrows. Successful controlling of our gaze also depends upon our avoidance of sinful situations. An Islamic idiom (Usul Al-Fiqh) says: “Anything that leads to haram is haram in itself.” Therefore cutting any unlawful situation in their bud is what we should strive for. Performance of a pious deed is rewarded and avoidance of a sinful deed is also rewarded, Al-Hamdulillah. One of the biggest culprits which encourage us to disobey the ayahs in Surah Nur, are the movies. In the name of entertainment, to please our peers and children and as an excuse to do something together as a family, we astonishingly allow the development of un-Islamic scenes and dialogues in front of our eyes. Can we ever imagine (Na’udubillah) any Sahaba renting the latest hit from Blockbuster videos, or listening to music with luring lyrics at high volume? Likewise, we watch news on TV and stare at the anchorwomen, female gymnasts, and female swimmers who are scantily dressed. Thus we are not supposed to stare at the faces of non-Mahrams of opposite gender, be they our fellow students, elders, saleswomen or someone on TV. Each one of us may have become culprits of not obeying the ayahs in Surah Nur. It is not too late to realize these shortcomings and work at rectifying ourselves. Above all, we should always ask forgiveness of Allah (SWT). Indeed blessed are those Muslims who are able to check their gazes. Let’s contemplate on the above humble advice and constantly make the following supplication: “O Allah help us in controlling our sensual desires until we get married, and after our marriage, let our desires be only towards our spouses ... aameen.” Editor’s note: This should apply to both sexes, naturally! ‘I feel compelled to respond to the letter that the sister wrote in your last issue on hardly ever reading articles about Muslim men lowering their gaze. The sister is right in reminding brothers to lower their gaze.’ ---Sabeel Ahmed How to Lower our Gaze
Page 10 Issue 21 1. -Our Knowledge- Wasted by not taking action with it. 2. -Our Actions- Wasted by committing them without sincerity. 3. -Our Wealth- Wasted by using it on things that will not bring us ajr (reward). We waste our money, our status, our authority on things which have no benefit in this life or in the akhirah (hereafter). 4. -Our Hearts- Wasted because they are empty from the love of Allah, and a feeling of peace and contentment. In its place, our hearts are filled with something or someone else. 5. -Our Bodies- Wasted because we don’t use them in ibadah (worship) and service of Allah. 6. -Our Love- Our emotional love is misdirected, not towards Allah, but towards something/someone else. 7. -Our Time- Wasted, not used property. 8. -Our Intellect- Wasted on things that are not beneficial, that are detrimental to society and the individual, not in contemplation or reflection. 9. -Our Service- Wasted in service of someone who will not bring us closer to Allah. 10.-Our Dhikr- Wasted, because it does not affect our hearts. 4 Stages For Success By Aquil Abdul Basser Throughout the Qur’an, the Holy Book of the Muslims, Allah -to whom all praise is due-speaks of His many ‘Signs’ which are manifest within creation. These signs are meant to give us insight and guidance for our spiritual lives here on this plane of existence. In one such verse He says: “For among His Signs is this, that you see the earth barren, but when We send down water (rain) to it, it is stirred to life and growth (of vegetation). Verily, He Who gives it life, surely, (He) is Able to give life to the dead (on the Day of Resurrection). Indeed! He is Able to do all things.” (Quran 41:39) These signs of Allah are meant to provide guidance for us. In this verse Allah gives us an illustration that He has the power to resurrect the “dead heart” just as He can resurrect the dead earth. But why the analogy with the earth? In another verse of the Qur’an, Allah says: “Wal-lahu anbatakumminal ardi nabaat.” - And Allah has produced you from the earth growing (gradually). (Quran 71:17) The word “nabaat” means “plants, vegetation”. In this verse Allah compares mankind to that of plants. He compared our growth/evolution physically and spiritually to the stage by stage growth of plants. Plants grow from the earth gradually. Once they reach a certain stage they are eventually “returned” to the earth via their seeds, pollination, decay etc. The cycle is then repeated. We also come from the earth growing gradually. We will eventually be returned to the earth. And as Allah teaches us in the Qur’an, we will be raised there from. But this verse also refers to our spiritual evolution as well. Metaphorically speaking, Allah raises us from “earth”. “Earth” in scriptural language represents this mortal, worldly life, with all its pursuits and pleasures, as well as materialistic concepts as opposed to the disciplined spiritual life and its concerns. Allah evolves us from being mere “earthly”, physicalized, materially oriented beings to spiritually oriented beings. When our father Adam was created, he was created as a physical being first and then Allah blew his spirit into him. We too are created in this fashion. We are first created physically in the womb, then we receive “Ruh” or “spirit” from God. This is a sign of our gradual “growth” here on earth. This lets us know that the “earth” is not without purpose. It is here from which we realize our purpose. It is here where we must achieve sublimation, moving from worldly concepts and concerns to more elevated spiritual ones. Plants (nabaat), grow from the earth and evolve toward the source of light, but they must be “cultivated”. There are four fundamental stages in cultivation. They are: 1. Cleaning or changing the environment. This includes removing weeds (harmful things), internal and external debris from the soil. 2. Breaking up the soil - to prepare for sowing seeds. 3. Sowing / planting seeds. 4. Nurturing - which includes plenty of sunlight and water. These are the basic steps we must follow when we grow plants, or grow a garden of plants. These four steps can also be applied to us and our spiritual life as Muslims, Catholics, Christians or any spiritual path we may follow. In our spiritual lives it is our souls that we must cultivate. Allah says in the Qur’an: “By the soul and the order and proportion given to it; and its inspiration as to its wrong and its right; truly he succeeds that purifies it.” In verse nine of the above passage it says: “Qad aflaha man zak-kaaha.”Which says, “Truly he succeeds who purifies it.”Within that “purification” and within that “success” lies “cultivation”. The word ‘aflaha’ means (in this 4th form of the Arabic verb): to thrive, prosper, have success. But in its first form, “falah,” it means to split, cleave, plow, till, cultivate. We must cultivate our souls if we are to have “success”. We cultivate plants in order to have a beautiful garden. Therefore we must cultivate our souls in order to have the most excellent garden, “Jannah” (Paradise). Whether we are cultivating soil or our souls we must follow the proper steps. The first stage in cultivation is cleaning/changing the environment. This entails removing the “weeds” or harmful things that will hinder our spiritual growth. This was the methodology of the Prophets and Messengers of God. They “cleaned” up the concepts of false gods first. With regards to the mission of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) we have an excellent example. He (SAW) instructed his companions, when they introduced Al-Islam to people, to first enjoin upon them “Tawheed” (monotheism). Ten Things We Waste Cultivating Your Spiritual Life
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