VID: Teach Islam

Assalamu'alaykum wrm wbt..

Sharing this with my circle of relatives and friends. Pls kindly spread the khayr and share the ajr. 
Jazakumullahu khayran.

Bismillah.

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Where should Islamic education come/start off from?
Not from the khatibs, the imams, or anyone else before the family institution, of course.

But the issue here is that what our parents used to do 10-20 years may no longer be relevant to our world today..

So... Here, bro Nouman Ali Khan addressed few humble tips, (such an eye-opener subhanAllah) on IMPROVING, preparing ourselves for the next generation- by starting off with the QURAN- LOVING THE QURAN. 

Yes, there are some parts of the education need not to be changed as how the teachings were revealed to the anbiya. 

But with the zombie consumerism?
PSP/Gamebox freaks-lifestyle? 
And more challenges and irresistible temptation today's generation is facing/experiencing/struggling to overcome,
How can we start loving the quran? 
Thus to instill this in today and next generation? 
Practically, how do we do that?

I mean, seriously, think about this.

Some of us are an elder brother/sister to other siblings.
Some are teachers by profession.
And some maybe, sooner or later, going to get kids or to get married.
We are going to be a husband,/wife, next a father/mother..
Or the least, to be a role model, an exemplary to others around us, if Allah wills.

I humbly invite all of you to watch this.

So pls watch~!

Like Bro NAK said, yea, syaithan will come to you, make you yarn and feel sleepy, or suddenly bother you with meetings that you have, 'important' things to do, bla bla bla- when you want to do good things, when you want to spend quality times listening and reciting the Quran with our family.. Or even when you want to WATCH THIS VIDEO!

So pls watch till the last, stay with bro NAK pls..

'We have to become the Nation of Al-Quran- US AND OUR CHILDREN, and the next generation (inshaAllah)'

Here's the video:

Knowledge 'Access' for Hawa (Updated)

Bismillah.
Assalamu'alaykum..

I know i should be focusing on my final revision for my final exam paper tomorrow..
But i couldn't just focus !
SubhanAllah..
What we discussed this morning when we were having our breakfast really made me restless.
I'm not gonna settle down until i write it down.
I know i won't until i do so..
InshaAllah..

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I remember having a halaqah in our masjid here (in our university) and after it ended, we saw brothers gathered around our ustadz, in circle sitting and they seemed to be discussing with him.

SubhanAllah, i still remember how i felt (and still do whenever i get to think of this)..
I was soooo jealous ! And still do..
I felt like walking to them directly, straight away, sit and listen to what they were discussing- MORE KNOWLEDGE! MORE HIKMAH to learn from this amazing ustadz with wonderful akhlaq, wisdom that he possesses. (as to what is apparent-personally know his wife and a bit on his conduct after these few years attending his classes-Allah knows best)

But the only thing that stopped me from doing so was the fact that: I was the only WOMAN-LADY-GIRL-FEMALE-any term of similar species (!) there..

Ok.. Ahaa.. I knew it's crazy to do that. I have hayaa' too..
Allahul musta'an.

I talked to the organizer, suggested to him if we could have a session with Ustadz, only for female.
The sad part is that, ustadz couldn't. I can understand that he stays far, full schedule on other classes he has in other places..
I thank the organizer for opening Q&A session more for sisters during the halaqah tho', alhamdulillah..
But we want more...

We have issues to ask and seek advice from..
We have doubts on lessons learnt to clarify..
We have topics read from our books alone that need to further discuss..

This doesn't happen once.
And not for this particular halaqah, only.
I see this happening in many places.
We women usually have limited access to the ustadz of certain and specified expertize of different disciplines and fields of knowledge. That's such a great loss.
I do feel frustrated seeing this keep hindering us from our passion.
And i see other sisters who are trading on the same path of mine feeling the same way.

Now i realize, where are the female scholars that we can consult, sit and learn from? Whose akhlaq, ways of thinking, knowledge-we can learn, adopt from and impersonate? At least here in our place, where are they?

We do have our own halaqah among sisters, but it's different when we can have a scholar or true student of knowledge who had spent his 5-10 years to learn islam in details and having good akhlaq and wisdom in his teaching- there's so much to learn and gain from this kind of people !

Now i can really understand how the female companions of Prophet Muhammad salallahu 'alayhi wasalam used to feel when they once requested from him salallahu 'alayhi wasalam to have a special,separate classes only for them..

We want one for us, too.....
Ya Rabb, Ya Mujib..
You hear us..

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Khayr. Now we now what we need.
Access to knowledge and qualified people to teach, for sisters..
For all levels, by all possible means, for all possible fields of knowledge.

Ustadz once advised us to be more proactiv in seeking knowledge.
Be more serious in this,
Learn from the 'first-hand' knowledge,
Get your hands on the great books written by big scholars,
Be the female scholars or at leasts students of knowledge who other sisters in the society can benefit from
our knowledge, akhlaq, iman, etc..
Go study whatever it takes to become one !

I get it, BE ONE when you can't FIND ONE.

Wooa.. Heavy.
I feel heavy.
So did my friend when we were discussing this issue this morning.
Allahul musta'an..

Will work on that, inshaAllah.
Pls make du'a for us..

*One thing at a time, ukhty~*

Ya Rabb, pls make us all among people of iman with true understanding of Islam who implement and upon their knowledge with full taqwa and ihsan while keeping the intention sincerely for Your sake, to seek the countenance of You in Jannatul Firdasil A'la. Amin

Upset-and-frustrated-but-motivated-muslima,
Umm Teem.

Beautiful advice given by Ustaz Ibrahim Nuh:

My Dear Sisters: Please Don't Soften Your Voice

Bismillah. Assalamu'alaykum..

A reminder for us all today!

..فَلاَ تَخْضَعْنَ بِالْقَوْلِ فَيَطْمَعَ الَّذِى فِى قَلْبِهِ مَرَضٌ وَقُلْنَ قَوْلاً مَّعْرُوفاً..

“..then be not soft in speech, lest he in whose heart is a disease (of hypocrisy, or evil desire for adultery) should be moved with desire, but speak in an honourable manner”
[al-Ahzaab 33:32] 

My beloved sisters, let's not soften our speech when talking to men. Let's see what scholars say about this (tafseer of the above ayah/verse) :

al-Qurtubi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in his Tafseer:

Allaah commanded them to make their speech serious and straightforward, and their posture and gestures should not convey and wrong ideas, as the Arab women used to do when speaking to men, by making the voice soft and gentle, like the speech of immoral women and prostitutes; He forbade them to do that.

It says in Mughni al-Muhtaaj (4/210), a book of Shaafa’i fiqh:

The woman’s voice is not ‘awrah, and it is permissible to listen to it if there is no fear of fitnah, but it is recommended for her to make her voice unappealing if there is a knock at the door, so she should not answer in a gentle voice, rather she should make it harsh by putting her hand over her mouth.

It says in Kashshaaf al-Qinaa’ (5/15), a book of Hanbali fiqh:

The voice (of a non-mahram woman) is not ‘awrah. It says in al-Furoo’ and elsewhere: according to the more correct opinion, it is haraam to gain pleasure from listening to it, even if she is reciting Qur’aan, for fear of fitnah. 

It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (17/202):

The woman’s voice is not haraam in and of itself, and it is not haraam to listen to it unless there is some softness and gentleness in speech. It is haraam for a woman to speak in such a manner to anyone other than her husband, and it is haraam for men other than her husband to listen to it

I won't advice you to shout/raise your voice (to its highest pitch) to men when talking/dealing with them nor am i telling you to CUT OFF your communication completely with them when THERE IS A GREAT NEED for you to deal with them (When i say NEED, it really means NEED a.k.a you don't find ANY OTHER SISTERS to help you) But please don't soften your (readily womanly-soft) voice. Sisters, you know what i'm talking about- when a woman starts giggling here and there with her widest smile on face that her face is full with 'nur' + her cute lil' voice talking innocently to men. God, cair hati lelaki.. (Wa'iyadzhubillah!)

*side-note: Men please lower your gaze (It's in surah an-Nur: 30) and then women too (An-Nur: 31) To my niqabi sisters, it's more important for you to observe your speech since nothing appears from you-except your voice! But that's the best part of being niqabi and fully covered- the hidden face and expression. :)

So minimize your conversation to men (non-mahram,stranger-men) and speak what's important only! (Give them no chance to be 'hanky-panky' with you. Once things done between you and the guy, walk away!)

As Syaykh Salih Munajjid once advised:

It is permissible for a woman to speak in the presence of non-mahram men in cases of necessity, subject to the condition that the speech is straightforward and serious and there is no softness, temptation or provocation in her voice. Her voice is not ‘awrah according to the correct scholarly view. Women used to speak to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and ask him questions, and they used to speak to the Sahaabah about their needs, and they were not denounced for doing so. 

Again. Be professional in dealing with men, talk only what's necessary, have Allah in heart. Be mindful of Allah..

Have taqwa my lovely sisters. Allah's watching you!

And Allah knows best. Wallahua'alam.

(A humble note with A GREAT REMINDER for the forgetful me, before reminding others)

With SO MUCH LOVE to my sweet sisters, wassalam.

For Future Moms~ (and Dads)

Bismillah..

Assalamu'alaykum!

Wana share this good video here:

You gotta watch this video for all beautiful stories Sheikh Syed Rageah shared!

It's important. To have righteous kids, we gotta be righteous too. So let's start becoming one, NOW.

Hope it benefits ya!

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Few IMPORTANT points i'd like to highlight here (and i believe it's crucial for us

all to know, inshaAllah):

1. Problems (Identify, minimize, avoid!)~

• Parents too busy to educate Islam to their children
• Bad examples of mothers (na'udzhubillah)-they add confusion to their daughters.

Well, you know, the 'HIJAB' concept. Putting it on only when they're in mosque and once they step out of the mosque, their hijab just disappeared-gone! Or shall i

say, flew away? :(

• Temptations around (Watch the vid to know the list :)
• Not having the right model to follow.
• Bad environment (Gives great influence to the kids since they learn most through observations-through their cute lil' eyes that act more like 2 sets of non-stoppable+non-filterable video recording! Parents, you'd better watch out!)

2. Since Islam's teachings are all meant to provide us BEST CURE, which is PREVENTION, Sheikh had shared with us some 'sweets yet hard to chew' tips:

• Set Prophet Muhammad salallahu 'alayhi waslm (s.a.w), habeebuna, as our BEST ROLE MODEL-uswatul hasanah

Why i wrote 'our best role model', not 'their'(the kids)? Because to teach these kids to take Prophet Muhammad (saw) as their BEST ROLE MODEL and to implement the sunnan of habeebuna (s.a.w) in everything they do, we have to do them FIRST. Remember the famous quote, "WALK THE TALK"? Uhuh. YOU-WALK THE TALK FIRST before the others :)

• Parents, as your kids ROLE MODELS, should always behave in good manners. Should (or MUST) practise praised characters as taught by our beloved Prophet Muhammad (saw)..

source:click here

MUST never lie to your kids. MUST go to the mosque oftenly, pray jama'ah prayers (to

dads, note this!), be righteous in speeches and deeds, LIVE ISLAMICALLY...MUST DO everything by YOURSELF first, if you want your kids to do the same. Remember i told you they are the 'recorder'?.....

May Allah put ease in all of our affairs as to our sincere intentions and deeds! Aaamin!

source: click here

• To have intelligent, righteous, pious kids like Imam Syafi'e (may Allah have mercy upon him)-start before your delivery to your baby!

So, dads musn't bring any haraam food/stuff into the house. Have your house near the mosque so that your kids (boys especially) could walk there themselves to perform jam'ah prayers when dads get busy and not around... And moms should live islamically also; read+understand al-quran and act upon its teachings, live the sunnah, conduct good attitudes, etc.. (watch the vid to know more)

• If you want your kids to be PERFECT muslims, AIM HIGH.

And then from there, you have to always try to raise them (like sheikh said, 'mold them') so that later on, when they reach age of 15+ (Being teenagers, ya know how hard it is for them to deal with so many LURING yet DESTRUCTIVE temptations), they are easier for you to handle as they would be more obedient to you in righteousness as compared to others of their age that aren't raised islamically. May Allah make our children among the righteous and have taqwa! Aaamin.

So, as future mothers, we really have to prepare ourselves with 'ilm and good akhlaq!

source: click here

• TVs-put on good shows to watch with the kids, put away all the bad and harmful shows away from the kids. (Personally, i'd rather not to have TV at home..)

Well, the sheikh somehow suggested to us to have a more productive time spent with the family-having a visit during the weekend to good+righteous families or any outdoor activities where all of your family members could participate in a healthy-islamic environment. (volunteering in charity work will also do! :)

• Kids are amanah (a trust) from Allah.

So we have to fear Allah! It's a GREAT deal!

When a sister lends you her fave book, what will you do? Surely you wouldn't wana betray her trust to you, right? So you would wana take very good care of it and handle the book carefully-you wouldn't wana lose her trust to you. If that's the case of her trust (the book), what about HIS trust to you(the kids)? Will really have to provide these kids their rights (the utmost priority!): to educate them Islam..

You wouldn't want them to stand infront of Allah and complain, "Oo Allah, my mom (or

dad) didn't teach me how to pray. They didn't teach me how to read the Quran. They didn't teach me..(you can name all the pillars of Islam/Iman if you want).."

Instead of having your kids as a key to jannah, things are happening just the opposite. Na'udzhubillah.. :(

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• For new muslims and new-practising muslims :)

CHANGE ENVIRONMENT!

Uhuh, you read me. If you want to change to a better muslima, want to practise Islam as what you've learnt but the environment just not that friendly to your changes, guess what? You REALLY GOTTA CHANGE THE ENVIRONMENT :)

How?

Sheikh's suggestions:

a. Change friends. Have them who are:

-righteous. (they love spending time in mosque/muslims' organized events)

-remind you to fear Allah (in everything you do)

-correct you when you do wrong things

b. New muslims: don't try to go back (to your former friends-life before you learn enough of your deen.

- How can you dive to save your friend if you don't know how to swim? So stay dry, till you learn to swim. :)

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BOYFRIEND-GIRLFRIEND RELATIONSHIP.

How to stay steadfast in avoiding this forbidden relationship?

a. Sincere du'a..

"Oo Allah, You know who i am and who i used to be. Please guide me to remain on this path (steadfastness in obeying/pleasing Allah)" or something alike. :)

b. Avoid being in places of fitan (plural for fitna)-disco, pubs, places where intermingles (and other poisons to our iman) are unavoidable.

c. Fast as much as you can

d. Spend most of your time in mosque..

*Tips above are written to remind the imperfect+forgetful-me, before reminding the others :)

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"Our Lord! Bestow on us from our wives and our offspring who will be the comfort of our eyes, and make us leaders for the Muttaqun"

(Al-Furqan:74)

.

Ukhty Alima: Love Unveiled

Bismillah....

Assalamu'alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh!

Here's an eBook that i want all of my sisters to subscribe [click below]:

Love Unveiled: An Insight into Love and Marriage

By Ukht Alima Ashfaq

And here's her page I am Alima (FB)

"WHY SHOULD I SUBSCRIBE?.."

Hope the glimpses of this eBook will give you the main ideas on what's happening here!

EnchaAllah~

1. What is the Mysterious thing called LOVE?

" You need to know what is love is, so you can differentiate between LOVE and LUST. Whether it's BEFORE marriage or AFTER. Once you know what it's not-YOU CAN FOCUS ON ACHIEVEING WHAT IT IS.."

2. Marriage in Islam?

"Once you understand the importance of MARRIAGE IN ISLAM, your desire to get married will increase, and you will want to DO IT CORRECTLY in order to attain happiness within this relationship If you're married, you will learn the IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING THIS RELATIONSHIP in the good times and bad, as it's something that is emphasized in the Shari'ah and Allah wants the best for you.."

My comments: And here, in this part it goes on correcting your misconceptions on marriage. Marriage is not to just SATISFY one's LUST as many people think, alright? Not to be perceived as a one-day picnic where people just have fun for quite some time and leave after the 'picnic moment' is over! It's more than that. It's all about RESPONSIBILITY-beautifully and happily carried upon the married couples if they do things right.. :)

3. Mekka and Madina

"Two blessed lands, yet very unique and different in their own ways. Once you learn the importance of the other and give both its due right-life will be at ease.... Your marriage will be at ease!"

EnchaAllah!

My comments: Beautiful analogy! Instead of having "Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus", now we have "Men Are from Mekka, Women Are from Medina".. How sweet! MashaAllah..

4. I Want You.... But I Fear Allah!

"This life is a test and you have to protect yourself. once you understand the importance of protecting yourself from falling into haraam, you will actively seek to stay away from this and success will be yours.."

I'm telling you this once again: YOU MUST SUBSCRIBE to this eBook. EnshaAllah you will benefit a LOT from here.. :)

"It's your choice. The life you choose to lead is due to the choices you make. If you make them right with the intelligence then you won't go wrong. If you're hasty and you go into a road without a calculated decision then you're setting yourself up for trouble.."

pss: Recall on what a wise man said to me once, "Marriage is no longer significant to many men today because the world is so corrupted-that they have all those means to get what they want, at anytime, anywhere.. So why should they burden themselves with responsibilities (marriage)?"

Allah musta'an.

Wallahu alam..

Why NIQAB?

Bismillah..

Assalamu'alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh..

"If you’re going to start ‘hooking up with your deen again’, take it step by step.."

A short advice i got from a blogpost.. So true indeed..

Check out these links advising our new-practising muslimaat on NIQAB. Since many are asking me how to start wearing niqab, maybe these links would b a bit of help. InshaAllah :)

To Wear Niqab..Or Not To!

Does This Make Me An Extremist?

Niqabi Who Needs a Little Boost!

Here some videos that i suppose will help to motivate my dear niqabis :)

Why Muslim Women are Beautiful? :)

Wny I Love Niqab..

And here's fatwa regarding Niqab, a scholarly view that takes Niqab as an obligation, given by Sheikh Muhammad Salih al-Munajjid:

Why Women Have to Wear Niqab?

And more dalil for Niqab according to Al-Quran and As-Sunnah:

Examining the Dalils For Niqab

To read and discover more of the scholarly arguments on why Niqab isn't an obligation, i suggest my dear sisters to read a book entitled "Muslim Women's Dress: Hijab or

Niqab" written by Syed Mutawalli ad-Darsh. Here some links you can refer to know more on this book:

Buy: Book

Book Review

And the most important thing is: DO THE RIGHT THING WITH THE RIGHT INTENTION AND RIGHT WAYS OF DOING IT

May Allah guide us to what pleases HIM.. Amin! (^_^)

~In Islam, women are precious~

Allah’s Shade for Women

Allah’s Shade for Women
(click the link!)

SubhanAllah!

Women and men are equally special in the eyes of Allah!
Alhamdulillah~

15 Tips for Brothers talking about "Women in Islam"

Bismillah. Assalamu'alaykum!
Sharing this with all of you~

Fifteen Tips for Muslim Men talking about "Women in Islam"

Guidance for Muslim men on how to deal effectively with the stereotypes and misperceptions about women in Islam.

Sadly, some Muslim men make the problem of outsiders' perception of women in Islam worse without realizing it, instead of clarifying the issue. This is rarely, if ever, done intentionally. However, what’s clear is that some guidelines are necessary for brothers when talking about the issue of women in Islam. Here are some suggested tips:

1. Let the sisters speak

No matter how well-spoken, eloquent or intelligent a brother is, the bottom line is this: he is not a Muslim woman.

That means no matter how much you, as a Muslim man tell a non-Muslim woman how wonderful hijab is, it will be harder for her to accept this because you have never worn Hijab and you are not a woman.

Whenever possible, have sisters answer questions pertaining to Islam and women.

2. Be careful of mixing up the ideal with the reality

One non-Muslim writer once remarked how when talking to Muslims about Islam compared to the West, Muslims take the ideal of Islam and compare it to the reality of the West.

The fact of the matter is there are very ugly realities when it comes to the treatment of women in many parts of the world, including the Muslim world. Muslims must recognize the reality of domestic violence in the community, even though Islamic ideals would never condone such ugly behavior.

3. Don’t sacrifice speaking out against injustice in the name of protecting Islam’s "image"

"Tackle the issue and the image will take care of itself," advises Sr. Kathy Bullock, a convert to Islam based in California. Don’t fall into the tendency to ignore pressing issues for the sake of protecting Islam’s reputation.

In other words, if someone brings up the issue of honor killing in Jordan, acknowledge the reality but make it clear that this is a sin and a crime in Islam and as a Muslim you condemn it. This in itself is enough. Trying to justify or make excuses for it or covering it up is not going to score image points for Islam.

4. Don’t respond to unspoken accusations

A number of times, Muslims automatically start an apologetic tirade defending the status of women in Islam before a person has even said a word. Let the other person initiate questions, and answer calmly and confidently. You may be responding to an accusation that was never even in the person’s mind in the first place.

5. Ask WHY

Do this before launching an apologetic tirade against any accusation. For instance, a man in Spain once approached a scholar, saying he felt Islam was a man’s religion. Before rebutting him, the scholar asked him why he thought this way. The man replied that whenever he looked at mosques, he saw only men.

By knowing why, you can develop your answer accordingly, and tackle the issue head-on in an honest and direct way.

6. Agree with people as much as possible

Start off agreeing with a person. It will completely turn the tables on the discussion, as many people begin discussions on women in Islam assuming Muslims are completely against the notion of women’s rights.

7. If you don’t know something SAY SO

If a person tells you they’re from X country you’ve never heard of and Muslim women are treated in a horrible fashion what can you say about it?

I have never heard of that, and I don’t know are simple enough. Don’t start apologizing, or denying that it happens. Tell the truth.

8. Don’t be condescending

In Islam, looking down on a fellow human being is a sin, whether the person is a male or a female. Don’t think you know all there is to know about women in Islam, and don’t speak in this manner either. Allah does not love arrogance, and only Allah has full knowledge of all things.

9. Don’t interrupt

This is a problem in a number of cultures, men interrupting women and other men when they speak. Not only is this rude behavior, it takes away from your message. People are less likely to listen to you if you come across as a rude boorish individual. Don’t do this to others, especially sisters.

10. Don’t assume all Muslim sisters are the same

Just because your mom, who was born and brought up in a Muslim country, and has never had a problem with hijab does not mean that other Muslim sisters have the same experience.

Muslim sisters are as different as brothers, as are their experiences with issues like hijab.

11. Become more attuned to the "new Muslim woman"

Muslim sisters today are not the same as those of yesterday. Many Muslims sisters know more, and they prefer more interactive lectures as opposed to the passive style normally used. If you’re giving a talk, be ready to have interjections from Muslim sisters. Welcome these, don’t shun them.

12. Choose your words very carefully

If you’re doing a presentation on women’s issues in Islam or responding to a basic question, make sure to choose your words extremely carefully. Know the exact dictionary meaning, as well as the meaning in everyday usage. Words are extremely powerful, and they leave an imprint on the hearts and minds of people. You want that imprint to be positive, so be careful.

13. Actions speak louder than words

You can speak beautifully about women in Islam on behalf of the Muslim Students’ Association (MSA), but if throughout the year, sisters have been denied access to the prayer room, or the right to participate in decision-making in the MSA, then think of how silly your talk is.Make sure your personal and organizational behavior falls in line with your words.

14. Don’t stereotype all Western women

"Table dancers" or "cheerleaders" is how one Muslim sister described the way Muslims tend to stereotype all Western women. Let’s not forget: we hate it when Muslim women are stereotyped as oppressed, so we should not be doing the same to others.

And lest we forget, a growing number of Western women are becoming our Muslim sisters, and very practicing ones at that.

15. Seek women’s perspective on issues

You know mom, who loves you so much and makes your dinner? She’s a woman. Your sister in school? She’s a woman. If you’re blessed to be surrounded by practicing Muslim sisters in your home, take advantage of this by seeking their views on issues like hijab, domestic violence, community participation, and media stereotypes. There’s nothing like hearing the truth presented from those who truly live it.

source: http://www.sydneymuslimyouth.com/smyforum/showthread.php?2627-Fifteen-Tips-for-Muslim-Men-talking-about-quot-Women-in-Islam-quot&s=b460651878a7a2fc8ee44b7ec8786533

SubhanAllah..
It's so true!
Becareful in choosing words..
And the best to do-ASK THE MUSLIM WOMEN of things in regard to their matters..
(Those muslim women who really practice Islam alright?..)

Advice to sisters in islam

Beautiful and good messages from Sheikh Khalid Yasin to all muslim women..