Page 9 The Islamic Bulletin Volume XXIV No. 28 food. Overall they have been very accepting; I always make dua to Allah to accept them as Muslims. Over the years, my father began to ask me questions about Islam. At times, I was a little pushy about Islamic beliefs. Almost like a car salesman where he says, “You need this car. You can’t leave without it…” And, likewise, I would be very persistent in preaching about Islam and at times it would become a little ugly when our discussions would always end up in arguments. I felt that this was not helping the situation. So I decided to show Islam through my character and continued to pray to Allah (SWT) for their hedaya. Things were going very well, Alhamdullilah. One weekend I had a dream that I was in a masjid with my good friend and we were both praying to Allah (SWT) in white thobes. Subhanallah, the next day my good friend called me. Although I missed his call, my father called me right after to tell me that he had a surprise for me. I thought his surprise was going to be that he bought me something new, like a pair of new shoes. After meeting him, he told me that he wanted to become a Muslim. I was speechless because this came out of nowhere. I hugged him and asked him what changed his mind. He told me that he was doing research on his own for a while about Islam. In other words, behind my back. No father wants to be lectured from his own son. He wanted to discover Islam on his own. We went to the masjid together and, Alhamdullilah, he took his Shahadah! Q: What are your future plans? I still have much to learn about Islam. I never tire of reading the Qur’an. When I am unsure about something in Islam, I look to the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him). I see how he responded to situations and use this as my guide. My journey in Islam will continue, and I look forward to many new experiences. I thank Allah daily for His Mercy and Love. I still have many goals which I wish to achieve with my faith. I have come to accept my belief in Islam as a progression, a journey, a seed that was planted and has grown into a strong and living presence in my soul. I am not perfect, but I believe that I am a better Muslim this year than I was last year. I know by the number of things that I have left behind that were not pleasing to Allah. I know with each passing Ramadan because I can look back at my first weak attempts at fasting and realize that I can look forward to this month and that Allah will be there to help me through the weak moments Let me conclude by inviting everyone who is not a Muslim to examine Islam and decide for yourself about this religion which is practiced by one out of every five people in the world. As a Muslim, I invite you and encourage you to seek out a Muslim and initiate a dialogue. Subhanallah, once again another year has gone by. Where does the year go? Where do the hours and days go? How do the weeks and months slip by? By the time this newsletter will reach you, the first one-third of Ramadan will be over. Have you made the most of the first ten days of Ramadan? What steps have you taken to strengthen your Imam while the Shaitan is locked up? During Ramadan, I have come to an alarming realization. During the remainder of the year, when my mind wanders during Salah, when I am not as generous as I could be when Muslims ask for help, when I lose my temper, etc. I feel a small sense of relief when I angrily blame the Shaitan for tempting me and quickly and repeatedly ask Allah (SWT) for forgiveness. However, have you ever thought about whose fault it is for your actions during Ramadan? How about the struggle to keep our tempers in check? Have you lost your temper with any person during the past 10 days? And if you answer in the affirmative, do you know what this means? This means that Shaitan has temporarily succeeded. This means that you and I cannot blame the Shaitan for our actions. The decisions that we have made within the last 10 days are a representation of our true self and we will be judged accordingly on the Day of Judgment But wait!! It’s not too late!! There’s still time to repent. Take advantage of the remaining two-thirds of Ramadan to perfect your Salah and your character. This is the month for renewing our commitment and re-establishing our relationship with our Creator. Beg Allah (SWT) for forgiveness and ask Him (SWT) to grant you steadfast Iman, Khushu’ (total concentration) during Salah, patience during trials, and characteristic traits that defined our Prophet Muhammed (S). The Messenger of Allah (S) said: “Every action a son of Adam does shall be multiplied—a good action by ten times its value, up to 700 times. Allah (SWT) says: With the exception of fasting, which belongs to Me, and I reward it accordingly. For, one abandons his desire and food for My sake.” However, we must remember that the practices and lessons learned during Ramadan should be instilled in our lives throughout the rest of the year! It would be pointless to end the month and return to our old behavior. Instead, at the end of Ramadan, we should take time to evaluate the changes that we have made and continue to engage in these practices in our everyday lives. May Allah (SWT) reward you, may He (SWT) grant you and your family everlasting success in this life and the hereafter, and may He (SWT) protect the entire Muslim Ummah from the torments of the grave and from the punishments of the hereafter. Ameen Ya Rabb-al Alameen.
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