Unite The Muslims

By Ify Okoye

One bitterly cold and windy weekend here in Washington DC, a friend and I decided to visit the U.S. Botanic Garden, which is located indoors. We left the garden shortly before the time for maghrib and decided to head over to a local restaurant to get a bite to eat. On our way, we could tell from the sky that the time for maghrib was near. As I began to wonder where we would pray, I happened to see the iconic minaret of the Islamic Center of Washington, DC just down the road. Alhamdulillah, I thought, we can stop and pray there. In warmer weather I do not mind finding a spot to pray outside, but as this day was particularly cold, I was grateful for the opportunity to pray in a warm masjid.

We parked on the road and as we prepared to walk inside, an older brother of uncle-age turned to eyeball us on his way into the masjid. I reminded him to lower his gaze, and he hurried into the masjid. Despite the cold weather, we walked around the building looking for a separate women’s entrance but could not locate one. Surprised, we entered through the same doorway used by the brothers and up the same narrow shared staircase to the shared shoe racks to the shared entrance to the upper level main prayer room. All this equality and equal access was quite remarkable and rather baffling, particularly because for Friday prayers, the cramped women’s prayer area is little more than a glorified basement broom closet. In the years since becoming Muslim, I’ve come to expect separate and unequal, if not downright shoddy and dangerous accommodations for sisters in most masajid. My friend asked me where the sisters pray and I told her there is some space blocked off for us in the main hall. She went in to find it but I held back, timid and shy, feeling a nervousness that has developed from my experiences of being a woman that desires to pray in the masjid. She motioned me inside, and we walked over to the area reserved for sisters. We listened to the adhan, and as my friend had never before visited the Islamic Center, she took in the sights of ornately decorated walls and ceilings. We prayed our sunnah and waited for the prayer to begin.

My friend asked me about the right of women to see the imam, a topic we had learned about in the AlMaghrib Divine Link: Fiqh of Salah seminar. She tried rather unsuccessfully to peek through the narrow cracks in the large wooden dividers to gauge whether she would be able to see the imam. I then suggested that we pray in the main section, in the back, behind the men. Not really much cause for fitna as there were barely two rows of men and ample prayer space. She agreed. I must say, I felt somewhat nervous while waiting for the iqamah, our cue to escape from the penalty box/women’s prayer area and enter the main prayer area. I felt for a moment what Asra Nomani must have felt standing alone in her masjid in Morgantown, West Virgina (and I don’t agree with her on most matters), and also what countless women, forced into cramped, crowded, and unseemly prayer spaces in so many, far too many of our communities, feel each time they desire to worship their Lord in the masajid.

After the iqamah, the scant two rows of men lined up, and we lined up off to the left side toward the back. One easily could have placed a dozen rows of worshippers between us and the men. We did something quite revolutionary, we prayed maghrib salaah in the main room, outside of the penalty box, and then we prayed our sunnah. There were no fireworks, no angry shouts, and most of the brothers left quietly after they prayed. One lone brother just could not resist telling us that the prayer space for women was located inside the penalty box in the back right hand corner of the masjid. When we said that we preferred to pray over here to be able to see the imam, he countered by telling us that the brothers who come late like to pray in the back (as if they could not find any other space to pray in the huge masjid).  Seeing that we were unimpressed and unmoved by his feeble arguments and attempts to persuade us, he also left.

My friend then humorously suggested that the area designated for the women would be more rightly utilized as a penalty box for the men who come late to the salah, as a rebuke and punishment.

I’ve been reflecting upon this experience and others, and it occurs to me that I entered into Islam believing that I had found a religion which dignified and validated my existence as a human being. I continue to believe as Jafar ibn Abi Talib said to an-Najashi, that we were a humiliated people before our Islam and within Islam we found our dignity and honor in rejecting false idols and in worshipping God alone.

I’ve spoken to many converts and the same can be said of people born into the faith: we did not leave jahiliyyah in order to be treated poorly and with injustice by our brethren in faith and to remain quiet. We left jahiliyyah and entered into Islam with a statement on our tongues coupled with belief in our hearts and the actions of our limbs. And day after day, we are asked to tolerate the injustice and inequity manifested in the poor treatment of women and children in so many of our communities. If we dare to speak up and out against these shameful scenes, we are labeled as being too “Western” or “liberal” or “progressive” or as “feminists” or “sell-outs.” Since when is advocating for universal values and simple common decency “Western”?

In my own local community, I once took it upon myself to ask the shura members of a masjid not for equitable prayer space, nor to pray in the same room, nor even to be able to see the imam; I simply asked that the outside doors on the sisters’ side not be locked and chained shut from the inside, as I had learned in childhood that chains on doors are a dangerous fire hazard. The responses I received were disheartening: most seemed unaware that this serious fire code violation had been a routine practice, and one questioned the perceived “critical” tone of my email. But alhamdulillah, the chains have not been seen on the doors for some time.

Equally disheartening are the seating arrangements at some AlMaghrib Institute seminars, where brothers are given the front rows closest to the instructor and sisters are given the back rows. Particularly in locations that have upwards of 500 students, being in the back is akin to sitting in the cheap seats atop the USTA’s Arthur Ashe stadium. The irony is that sisters are still charged the same $165 tuition fee for often inferior seat choices and options. It is true that some sisters proudly assert their right and preference to sit in the back and some brothers complain that they will be too distracted by the sight of a sister in a classroom to be able to focus on the material being taught, even though they somehow managed to focus throughout their years of secular education. Yes these may be valid concerns, but why is my right or the right of other sisters that come early to secure a seat in the front, where we feel that we can better focus, not also given the same merit? Why should a disinterested, sprawled out, reclining, and dozing-off brother be given preferential seating over a serious, awake, interested, and motivated sister?

At the most recent AlMaghrib seminar here in Maryland, brothers and sisters prayed in the same barrier-free room and everyone behaved themselves appropriately. I sometimes feel that by placing barriers we not only assume the worst but absolve people from needing to taking responsibility for their own actions. How will individuals learn to act appropriately in the presence of the opposite gender outside Islamic bubble environments in the wider barrier-free world? On the last day of the most recent AlMaghrib seminar in Maryland, the instructor asked the students to move down and come closer in order to fill in the gaps in the first rows. So some sisters moved down to the left-hand side of the very first center row which had been occupied by a few brothers on the other end. There were several unoccupied chairs in between them and I hesitated whether or not I (as the ameerah) should ask the sisters to move back a row or two. I decided against it and let them remain in their chosen seats. These are mature adults, both men and women, they paid for the seminar, they desired to sit in the front row closest to the instructor, and I saw no reason to move them as they all acted in an appropriate manner.

But, it’s not compulsory for sisters to attend the masjid; it’s better for them to stay at home and learn from the men-folk when they return. However, the reality is, the men who pray in the masjid are few, and a sister who has striven to come to pray the salah at its proper time in a masjid should not simply be excluded by virtue of her gender, nor should she be forced to pray in sub-standard conditions with her children: conditions which no man with any sense of fairness, let alone a modicum of authentic gheerah, would allow for himself or his family. The reality, particularly in the West, is that the majority of students and volunteers in many Islamic environments are women. If women did not go out and actively seek knowledge, they certainly would not get it from their missing-in-action brothers, fathers, sons, and husbands (assuming their family is Muslim, which is not the case for many converts).

I’ve been contemplating a project to photograph as many women’s prayer spaces as I can in the various masajid I visit and then to publish them on a new photoblog, highlighting the good and shaming the disgraceful ones. In discussions such as these, in which emotions run high and rationale is often thrown to the wind, a picture is often worth more than a thousand words.

• “Suburban Capitalist Islam” – List of Beliefs – http://bit.ly/dB0nzq #
• "Suburban Capitalist Islam" – Response #1 – Islam is not a filter of Western Culture – http://bit.ly/ap6rR6 #

We’ve all had this happen to us before: A meeting runs late, or you were caught in traffic, or perhaps you were taking a finals exam when all of a sudden you realize that you haven’t prayed yet and time is running out.  But where to go – there’s no masjid near you…or is there?

The Prophet (SAW) said, “I have been given five things which were not given to anyone else before me”

Among these things…

“The Earth has been made a place of prayer (Masjid) for me, and pure. Therefore, anyone from my community who is overtaken by the time of prayer, let them pray [wherever they may be].”

Volume 1, Book 7, Bukhari

SubhanAllah, what a rahma!  While it is certainly best to pray in jama’ah at a physical masjid or musallah, our modern hectic schedules often don’t allow us to do so.  The ability to pray at work and at school is the most obvious benefit of this hadith.  Sometimes, though, we find ourselves having to pray in, well, more unorthodox places.

I myself have prayed in a parking lot of a T.G.I.Friday’s, in the hallway of a movie theatre, and in random nooks in the streets of New York City.  I figured I couldn’t be the only one to have prayed in such unusual places, so I posed the question to Facebook and Twitter – and man, you all STAY unusual with your prayer locales.

Sometimes our circumstances unexpectedly dictate the spot; like the brother who prayed while waiting on (a slow moving) amusement park line, or the brother who prayed in the locker room of a Macy’s department store, or the brother who prayed on the pedestrian walkway of the Triboro Bridge.

Sometimes, however, our plans indicate ahead of time that we’ll need to find a place to pray; like the sister that prayed in the middle of a protest opposite Downing St., or the sister who prayed in the basement of a Swiss café.

What amazed me most, though, were the locations of jama’ah prayers that some determined Muslims managed; like the sister who prayed in groups at both churches AND synagogues, or the brother who was one of a dozen or so Muslims praying on the side of a highway (as anxious onlookers whizzed by, heh), or the two sisters who prayed in a (rather spacious) changing room at Harrod’s.

By far though, the most unique and awe aspired account came from a brother recalling his trip to Hawaii:

I was kayaking when it came time to pray, so I found a small patch of land in the middle of the sea and prayed there.  The waves gently hit my forehead as I made sujood.  Best moment of my life.

So…can anyone beat that experience?  What are some of the most unorthodox places you’ve made salat??

~TheAlexandrian

The recap is a bit dated now. We apologize to the writers for the delay in this article’s posting.  -MM

The Muslim Students Association of Queens College had planned determinedly for months to bring Imam Siraj Wahhaj for an event on being grateful. It was scheduled to take place on Thursday, November 19, 2009.

A week prior to the event, Imam Siraj Wahhaj was in two newspapers after a meeting he had with Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Other Muslim leaders and Imams from New York were also present. This was an outreach effort the Mayor organized to help ensure the well being and concerns of Muslims after the tragic shootings at Fort Hood.

NY Daily Times presented the issue of Imam Siraj allegedly being an “unindicted co-conspirator of the [1993] World Trade center bombing” in New York. They also reported that he was a character witness of Sheikh Omar Abdur Rahman, the convicted mastermind behind the bombings.

With this media representation of Imam Siraj, the Young Republicans Club on campus opposed bringing him to speak at our College. Incidentally, two weeks before our event this very club decided to show the anti-Islamic film entitled, Fitna. Naturally, this sparked a controversy on campus.

The week before our event, The NY Post published an article on the front page of their website regarding our event. They criticized our speaker (Imam Siraj) and brought up Omar Abdur Rahman as supposed evidence against his character.

The college security department decided that in order for us to have our event with Imam Siraj Wahhaj, we would need security present. There would also have to be a metal detector. We tried to convince them to reconsider their view of the security issues, but they remained adamant.

Imam Siraj also had his security with him at the event.

With this last minute security issue, our MSA members worked tirelessly to make sure everything went as planned.

Our Student Life Administration supported the MSA throughout so that we could have our event and bring Imam Siraj Wahhaj to our campus. We also had support from many other clubs.

Alhamdulillah, we were able to pull it off with an even higher turnout than we had anticipated. Nearly 400 people, mostly students and young professionals, showed up for the event.

By: Hasina Islam, Sarah Embabi, and Maha Akhtar

On the evening of Thursday, November 19, just before the Thanksgiving holiday recess, the Muslim Students Association at Queens College (QC MSA) warmly welcomed Imam Siraj Wahhaj to an event entitled “How Islam Perfected Thanks Giving.” Thanks to the QC MSA team’s effort and hard work, the evening could not have been more organized. Due to profound advertising on and off campus, the audience turnout was remarkable. In addition, the event was co-sponsored by Christians on Campus, the Guyanese Students Association, the Political Science Club, and Queens College Golden Key. Guests strolled in to be met with heavy security and a metal detector. Extra security precautions were taken by the college due to negative press reports about the event and comments community members made against the students. However, neither the rain nor the security stopped guests from attending, with over 300 people from all faiths and backgrounds in attendance.

Imam Siraj Wahhaj is an African-American Muslim convert to Islam. He is the founder and Imam of At-Taqwa Mosque in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn and the leader of the Muslim Alliance in North America (MANA). Praised as one of the most dynamic and charismatic Muslim leaders in the U.S., Imam Siraj travels widely, lecturing at various universities, conventions, and fundraisers.

As much as this Imam of America is one of the most positively influential and well-known Islamic leaders, there have been quite a number of unfortunate misconceptions about him. As a result of a series of accusations by the media, Imam Siraj has become known as a controversial character nationwide. Authorities have called him a co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, when in reality, he was merely one of the 171 names that appeared on a list of those who were un-indicted persons who may be alleged as co-conspirators. Thankfully, before giving his short yet moving talk about being thankful, the imam made it a point to clear up any misunderstandings during his visit to Queens College. “For the record, let me set it straight: I have never plotted anything against the government,” Imam Siraj told his audience. He also told the audience that they must not be gullible and believe everything they hear or read, but rather they must find out the truth for themselves. He reminded the audience, “the honorable Martin Luther King Jr. was once on the FBI watch list. Do they still think he’s a terrorist?” Such reminders helped generate a common understanding amongst the audience.

The program began with a beautiful Qur’an recitation by Mohammed Enamul Haque, Associative Director of MAS Youth Queens and student of Sheikh Hassan Saleh. Zakir Ahmed, President of the QC MSA, then called upon the Rabbi of the Queens College Hillel, Moshe Shur, to give a few words of wisdom. Due to the immense support that the administrative staff of Queens College displayed towards the event despite the negative accusations by the press, staff members were presented with certificates of appreciation on behalf of the QC MSA by none other than Imam Siraj Wahhaj himself. Director of Student Life, John Andrejack, and Vice President of Student Affairs, Joe Bertolino, shared a few words expressing their admiration of the hard work and commitment the MSA exhibited. Mr. Andrejack said, “I was really impressed with the perseverance displayed by the MSA throughout the planning of this event… [The MSA] handled each new challenge with such professionalism and maturity, that [it] managed to raise the profile and the reputation of the MSA.”

After presenting certificates, Imam Siraj delivered an inspiring, heartfelt talk to the diverse crowd about how one should be thankful to have all the opportunities and accessibilities that many others around the world lack. Imam Siraj particularly discussed the importance of water as a vital resource many take for granted without even realizing how much of it humans consume on a daily basis. Quoting directly from the UN Blue Book, he stated, “40 billion hours a year are spent searching for water in sub-Saharan Africa. And we [in America] just turn on a faucet.” Following this simple, yet significant, example, Imam Siraj quoted an ayah (verse) from the Holy Qur’an which reads, “And He gave you from all you asked of Him. And if you should count the favor of Allah, you could not enumerate them. Indeed, mankind is [generally] most unjust and ungrateful.”

Following the talk, audience members were encouraged to ask questions directly to the Imam. Most of the questions were from curious non-Muslims about opening dialogue between Muslims and non-Muslims on campus, which the Imam strongly encouraged. Zakir Ahmed then presented the Imam with tokens of gratitude: a beautiful fruit arrangement, a decorative Qur’an, and a thank-you card signed by the MSA board members. The Imam, who recovered from cancer, has started to change his lifestyle by eating healthy, and the gift was an encouragement for him to continue on this path.

Long after a dinner of turkey sandwiches and snacks, much healthy, energetic dialogue occured between guests from various backgrounds and faiths, including Muslims and Jews. The MSA has always believed in fostering a community at Queens College of respect, tolerance, and friendship towards people of all backgrounds. Many who attended claimed this was the best MSA event yet, and they could not wait to attend another. Joe Bertolino even considered this to be one of Queens College’s most successful events. One attendee revealed this was the first Islamic event he had ever attended, and that he wholly enjoyed himself. The QC MSA had been dreaming to have Imam Siraj Wahaj speak at their event as far back as July. The executive board spent months planning and perfecting every detail so that this event would run smoothly. They were not disappointed, as they were showered with compliments from community members long after the event was over.

Click here to view the embedded video.

In the 1970’s and 80’s, the Egyptian film industry went into decline, with the rise of movies aimed mostly at making a quick buck. Seduction became one of the most important elements of these movies, and they thus showed a lot of women in seductive dress and situations, and might feature lots of scenes around pools and beaches, to show women in bikinis. There was a lot of dancing involved, and for some reason, attempted rape scenes were quite frequent.

One actress rose to stardom in this age, because of her great beauty and her willingness to play the most seductive and risque roles. Her name was Shams al-Baroudi (born 1945). She starred in 41 films from 1965-1982.

Because her father was a religious man, and the Egyptian people are highly religious in general, she always felt guilt in her heart for the movies that she was playing, and the roles that she performed in them, but for 20 years she persisted. Sometimes the wish to leave the film industry and wear the hijab would come to her, but those around her would tell her: you are better now this way! However, she fortunately surrounded herself mostly with her old childhood friends, not friends from the film industry, and she would meet with them sometimes to recite the Qur’an on certain nights of the week, and especially in Ramadan. None of them wore the hijab, however, or fulfilled other requirements of the deen.

At that time, her readings focused on Bergson, Freud, Sartre, and other European philosophers, and she would enter philosophical debates about these matters, but at one point without any apparent reason, she suddenly stopped reading these books.

The urge to go to Umra also became suddenly lit within her, but she would say to herself: If I am going to go to visit the house of Allah, then I must start wearing the proper Islamic dress, otherwise how could I go visit it when I have not committed myself to dressing properly? But some of her friends said to her: No, no that’s not a condition! You can go to Umra, if you do not intend to commit yourself to wearing the hijab when you come back!

So she went in 1982 to the Umra, and she said: “It was the first time I wear white clothes, and don’t put any make up on my face, and I saw myself more beautiful than ever before.”

She arrived first in al-Madina al-Munawwara, and that is where the greatest moment of her life happened. She said:

“I went after the Fajr Salaat as usual to visit the grave of the beloved, the Mustafa, and in my hand was the book from which I would read the du’as as usual.

And I stook with my face in front of the grave of the Messenger, salla Allahu alayhi wa Alihi wa sallam. It was really crowded with women there. I grabbed the book with my hand to open it and read the du’a. But I suddenly saw the Messenger of Allah, salla Allahu alayhi wa Alihi wa sallam, at the door, on a level higher than us. Only his upper half appeared, and the rest of the body like a mirage.

I saw the Messenger with my eyes, and he was looking at me in particular. I couldn’t hold myself together… and I shook. And my body shivered. And I found myself saying: My beloved! My beloved! My beloved, ya Rasool Allah!

My tears were pouring out and I could see nothing in front of me except the Messenger, salla Allahu alayhi wa Alihi wa sallam. And sister Atiyyaat who was with me began to push me to move and to leave the place, though I couldn’t see. Moments passed, without me feeling when I moved and left the place.. My tears were pouring out, my body shivering, and I’m not uttering anything except: “Ya habeebi Ya Rasool Allah!”, until I lost all my power, and my legs could bear me no longer, and I found myself falling on my knees at one of the pillars in the women’s Prayer section. And sister Atiyyaat was trying to calm me down to stop crying and to stop repeating what I’m saying, and I was shivering.

Then I quietened down. We left together to meet my father and sister Atiyyaat’s husband. I left, silent, stunned. My father asked me: Why are you late?

I remained quiet. But sister Atiyyaat replied: Congratulate her, for our Lord has given her an opening! I heard that while I was in a state of silence, and no body knows what I had seen. I was in shock at what happened.. How did I see the Messenger? No body knew of what happened to me except after one year of my donning the hijab. I told my father and my husband Hasan. And every time I told it, my body would shiver and my tears would pour out.

I now stopped telling people what happened to me. Except if I were asked for a necessity. For this is a blessing that Allah has blessed me with.

The sight of the beloved Mustafa, salla Allahu alayhi wa Alihi wa sallam, was a blessing among the blessings of Allah that He gives His slaves. He gives them some of His signs, and brings down upon them of His mercy, that which supports them and pushes them and takes them by the hand to the path of Truth with determination, will, power, faith, and certainty.”

Then she went to Mecca, where she did the Tawaf. She says:

“During the first round of the seven rounds of Tawaf, Allah made it easy for me to reach the Black Stone and to kiss it. I made du’a with the strength of faith, my tears pouring down without ceasing, and I am silent. Only one du’a came to my tongue: I prayed for myself and my husband and children and parents and for everyone I know, for strong Iman. All seven rounds of Tawaf, I only prayed for strong Iman, and every round I would reach the Black Stone and kiss it.

And at the Station of Ibrahim, alayhi assalam, I stook to pray two rak’ats after the Tawaf, and recited the Fatiha. It was as if I had never recited the Fatiha before in my life, and I felt in it meanings that I consider to be a gift from Allah. And so I felt the true greatness of the Fatiha of the Book. I was crying and my innermost being was shaking. During the Tawaf I had felt as if many angels around the Ka’ba were all looking at me. I felt the greatness of Allah as I had never felt it before in my life.

Then I went and prayed two rak’ats at the Hijr, and the same thing happened to me again. This was before the Fajr. Then my father came to take me to the women’s section for the Fajr Salaat, and by then I had become a completely different person. Some women said to me: Will you wear the Hijab after this, from now on? I said: With the permission of Allah. I noticed that even the tone of my voice had completely changed! I was completely transformed! This is all that happened to me.. And I went back (to Egypt), and after that, I never took off the Hijab.”

Shams al-Baroudi’s determination after coming back shocked everyone. This was not a religious excitement that would pass with the years. No, for two decades she was offered great sums of money to return to the cinema but refused. But not only that, she worked on getting up to 15 actresses to leave their profession, and this inspired many other actors and actresses to repent and turn to Allah. Until now she is working to get the rights to her old movies, so that she could keep them away from the television screens. She frequently pleads with the audiences to not see any of her old films.

What shaykhs have said about Shams after her transformation:

The imam and mufassir, shaykh Muhammad Mutwalli al-Sha’rawi used to say about her:

“Shams has surpassed us all! May Allah give her increase always! She has become something else completely! And Allah has illuminated her inner vision. MashaAllah! MashaAllah!”

Shaykh Muhammad Khalid Thabit said:

“The great virtue of the Sahaba, may Allah be pleased with them all, was that they saw the Messenger of Allah, salla Allahu alayhi wa Alihi wa sallam, and his vision was like kohl to their eyes. And this lady, may Allah be pleased with her, saw him, salla Allahu alayhi wa Alihi wa sallam, in the waking, not in sleep. And he looked at her with his eyes, at her alone and not the people around her. And in that look was whatever was in it, and that is the favor of Allah, that He gives to whomever He wishes.”

Shaykha Shams al-Baroudi and her husband.

May Allah bless us all with a glance from the beloved Mustafa, salla Allahu alayhi wa Alihi wa sallam!

والحمد لله رب العالمين على نعمه كلها

اللهم صل وسلم وبارك على سيدنا ومولانا محمد خير البرية

وعلى آله في كل لمحة ونفس عدد ما وسعه علم الله

Guest post by Tamim Popalzai

Please make sure to first read Part 1 and Part 2.

Part III – Consideration & Courage

Start: Video  #5 -  4:31

Click here to view the embedded video.

…

We have conscience, we have compassion, and now we have consideration.

Being considerate.  What does that mean?  It means that you are deliberate.  You think before you act and before speak, how is my action and how are my words going to impact those around me.  Is it going to bring them up or is it going to crush their spirits.  Is what I am about to say nice that I need to share with people, that will be pleasing for them to hear it.  Or is it going to crush their spirits and bring them down.

So being considerate, the ability to think before you act.  The ability to be deliberate about your words and about your actions.  And off course the Prophet (saws) gave the most beautiful of examples in this.  One time, the Prophet (saw), after the conquest of Mecca, some people decided to run away because they felt that if Muhammad (saws) gets a hold of us, we are dead, they didn’t know Muhammad (saws).  They said, if he gets a hold of us, we are dead.  So one of the people that fled away was Ikrimah, the son of Abu Jahl (the notorious enemy of the Prophet (saws)).  He was not muslim, he said, I cannot be here, I am the son of Abu Jahl, I am Ikrimah, and Muhammad (saws) is coming to town, I better get out of town.  So he ran out of town.  The wife of Ikrimah came to the Prophet (saws) and she accepted Islam, but she still loved her husband.   So she said, O Prophet of Allah, what about my husband, what is his fate, what are you going to do about him.  And the Prophet (saws) said, we have granted him amnesty, he is welcome to come, he can live in Mecca, he doesn’t have to accept Islam, he can come.  She said,  O Prophet of Allah, I will tell him, but he will not believe me.  He thinks that I will be tricking him to bring him to you.  So the Prophet (saws) took off his turban, and he gave it to her and he said show him this.  Now in the Arab culture to do that, that is the ultimate sign of, “I have granted you full amnesty.”   So she goes to her husband and says, Ikrimah, the Prophet (saws) has granted you amnesty, come with me.  He said I don’t believe you, you are only tricking me to take me back to Muhammad (saws), so he can kill me.  She said, Ikrimah, that is not the case, look here is the turban of the Prophet (saws), he saw this and he found out that he is being granted amnesty.  So he is coming back and the Prophet (saws) is sitting with his companions and at a distance he sees Ikrimah coming with his wife.  The Prophet (saws) then tells his companions, “Haatha Ikrimatu, ya`tikum-al an mu`min, fala tasubu abaha..” He said to his companions,

Start: Video  #6

Click here to view the embedded video.

Ikrimah is about to accept Islam, so please do not mention his father, Abu Jahl, with ill words.  Fa inna sab-ba la yablughul mayta, wa you`thil hay..”  He said, for cursing those who are dead, they cannot hear you, you can curse the dead all you want, they will not hear you, but these words will affect those who are alive meaning even though his father was a bad man, it was still his father.  He despite of what he has done to me, do not mention his father with any ill words.  Be considerate.  And as Muslims, we are to be considerate.  You know the Prophet (saws), one of the most beautiful aspects of him was when he would speak about respecting peoples feelings.  Respect peoples feelings, respect how your words and actions will impact them.

For example, the Prophet (saws) said if there are three people, two people should not be whispering to one another.  Why?  He said because it will hurt the third person who is present.  Respect the feelings of that person.  Be considerate about it.

The Prophet (saws) said, when you lead people into salah, he said make sure you shorten your prayers.  Do not pray, long, long prayers, he said do not do that.  Why?  The Prophet (saws) explains, he said, “Amongst those who are praying behind you are young (young children, their attention span is not really that long) and then he said, amongst them are the old (standing up for them is not easy), and then he said amongst them are those who are sick, and amongst them are those who are busy.”  Be considerate.

The Prophet (saws) is praying and he hears a young boy crying, so the Prophet (saws) expedites the salah in a very noticeable way.  And the people notice that the Prophet (saws) is praying really fast.  After the salah, they said what happened, the Prophet (saws) I heard a child crying and I knew that his mother would want to attend to him and I knew how worried she would be about him and I wanted to finish the salah as soon as possible so she can attend to the baby.  What would we do today if a child starts crying in the salah?  After the salah, we would say, “Who is the father is this child, do not bring your children, etc.  This is not acceptable.  The point is to be considerate.

Sometimes we can do things that are not very acceptable.  In the hadeeth the Prophet (saws) said that you should not be like a “beast” where he hits his wife in the day and then he expects to sleep with her at night.  Not acceptable.  That is not considerate.   That is so unbelievably inconsiderate of any person.  He beats her up during the day then he wants to sleep with her at night.  And the description that the Prophet (saws) gave for such kind of a person is, “Do not be like a beast.”  Because such kind of a behaviour is only befitting to a beast.  If you do it, the Prophet (saws) said you are imitating a beast.

Not only this and this may be a bit sensitive, but you know the Prophet (saws) said, (addressing men), “do not be like beasts”  where you come and you have an intimate relationship with your wife and you have your own desires fulfilled but you are so inconsiderate whether your wife has received the same fulfillment or not.  The Prophet (saws) would say be considerate.  Intimacy is something that is supposed to be enjoyed by two people.  So he said do not be selfish in the process where you only enjoy yourself but you are so disregardful of what happens to the other person.  And the same description was given by the Prophet (saws), “wa minal ajzi ay-ya`ti rajulu ahlahu fa-yaqdi hajatahu wa la …. Aw yadri qan qadha hajataha am la.. (paraphrase of the prophet’s (saws) words).  He said it is part of weakness that a man would come and do this with his wife and he has his own desires fulfilled and he does not care whether she has received the same or not.

So the Prophet (saws) would say be considerate and I know some brothers would joke with their wives about the second wife, every now and then it’s a joke about the second wife.  And we think its funny, every now and then, “Oh I’m going to get me a second wife” and we laugh about it and she is telling you its not funny.  If the other person is not laughing with you, its not funny.

Start: Video #7

Click here to view the embedded video.

You may find it funny but its not funny because being funny is about all people laughing together, about putting a smile on everyone’s faced, but we think its funny.

You know what happens, sometimes we make people hate the sunnah or hate the deen because of our actions.  In the name of Islam, we can be so rude.  In the name of Islam, we yell at people.  In the name of Islam, we demoralize people.  In the name of Islam, we crush the spirits of people.  That is not the case brothers and sisters.  A muslim is supposed to be considerate. How you drive, it says a lot about you, where you park your car, its says a lot about you.  We are constantly displaying our character, so the point is to be considerate.

The Prophet (saws) would say, if you eat garlic or onions do not go to the masjid.  If you plan to eat these things, avoid coming to the masjid.  Why, I’m going to the house of Allah, yes but the house of Allah is full of other believers and eating onions or eating garlic is very inconsiderate of you.  So when you come, make sure you impact the people that are around you nicely.  Make sure that your presence brings joy.  Make sure that people around can feel that this person is so considerate  they will neither say nor will do anything that will hurt my feelings.  Be considerate.

Be conscious, be compassionate, and be considerate.

The fourth C is courage.  Have courage.  Have courage about what?  What is it.  It is about us being able to stand up for what we believe.  It is about the ability to stand up for the principles and values that we hold.  We say you are a person of courage when you are challenged yet you stand up for your beliefs and you stand up for your principles and you stand up for your values.

Courage is so needed nowadays.  The Prophet (saws) would speak about courage.  You know Musa (as) is mentioned in the Quran, but interestingly, every time Musa (as) is mentioned, he is always afraid.  Qala Rabbana innanna nakhaafu ay-yafrut alayna aw ay-yatgha, qala la takhauf, innaka antal `aala.  Musa (as) is afraid.  The staff turns into a serpent he is afraid to pick it up.  He is told to go to phaorah, he is afraid, O Allah, phoarah is a tyrant man, he is afraid.  Can we say that Musa (as) is a coward?  Absolutely not.  Because courage is not the absence of fear, courage is doing what is right despite the existence of fear. Musa (as) was afraid but his fear did not stop him from doing that which is right.  Courage is needed is especially needed when we have to challenge social status quo.

Sometimes some of the social traditions that we have are very oppressive to some people,  to some groups.  But it takes some courage to come and speak against this.  The Arabs did not allow women to inherit, it took so much social courage for the Prophet (saws) to come and address such an issue and people would uproar about this and would say “we do not have this, our forefathers did not do that”.   And that is not acceptable, but it takes courage to speak truth to power.  And in the hadeeth, the Prophet (saws) say, “ala layamna`ana ahadakum makhaafatan naas min ay-youqulu haqqan itha ra`ahu aw sami`a bihi”  (he said do not let your fear of people stop you from saying that which is right).  And the Prophet (saws) would empower us to make sure that you have the courage.  You have what it takes to bring about change.

And then, conscience, compassion, consideration, and courage.

To be continued on Part IV.

By Mariam E.

She repeatedly tossed and turned in her sleep. After all, it wasn’t her comfortable bed at home. Her mattress was very close to mine, so close that I could hear her mumble while she lay trying to get some sleep. It was the nights of al-Tashreeq (3 days after the day of Eid) in the tent city of Mina. This elderly lady was performing Hajj with her son and his wife. As she was falling asleep on her mattress that beautiful night, I heard her continuously mumble something. I tried to hear what she was saying; perhaps there was something bothering her, or she needed something. As I drew closer, my ears understood and my heart softened. What previously seemed like the mumbling of sleep-talk, was instead beautiful words; words that would send feelings of happiness to the heart of any son or daughter. She was making du’aa. Her du’aa was not one of eloquence and rhythm, that would amaze the listener. They were simple words, for she was a simple woman. But their meaning and humble nature made them heavier than the weight of gold bars. This du’aa was not for herself. No, there was something that was pleasing her beyond that. Her du’aa was for her son, whose name I recognized due to the conversations between the woman and her daughter-in-law.

Hajj is an arduous journey, a journey of jihad for the females of this Ummah, that takes us far from home, with only a ceiling of cloth separating us from the sky, and a bed that is not the most comfortable. Considering all of these hardships, you would have thought that this elderly lady would put aside all worries or thoughts and try to fit in some rest. But her pleasure with her dear son had filled her heart until the only concern of this half-sleeping, exhausted woman on that night was that Allah would bless him and grant him all good.

As I turned to lay my head on my own pillow, humbled by what I had just heard, many thoughts began to run through my head. What a fortunate son, who had pleased his mother to such an extent that he received her du’aa while she tossed and turned in her sleep. The days were blessed, the city–holy, and the journey–great. Added to all of this was the honor of the du’aa of a mother for her child.

I don’t think this woman knew that I had heard her du’aa. She did not know that she had touched a stranger with such a simple action.

My thoughts turned inward: are my parents pleased with me? Are they pleased with me enough that one of them would make du’aa for me on a night far from home, on a strange bed? On a night when sleep is most needed and desired?

This humble woman inspired me. Her du’aa that night was a source of inspiration. Even now, her words often come to mind when I feel that I have fallen short in my duties towards my parents. Perhaps one day I will reach the level of having my parents pleased with me at such a beautiful level.

May Allah reward her and accept that Hajj from her, and may He answer her du’aa. Ameen.

I rue this day when Islamophobia officially infiltrated the US justice system. A woman who hasn’t seen her 3 children for years (2 of whom she doesn’t know are dead or alive), a case built upon innuendo with no hard evidences, a prosecution story that is as incomprehensible and illogical as was OJ’s glove defense, is now found guilty of using arms that one wonders if in her frailty she could even use? Aafia Siddiqui, the cycle of injustice is now complete:

The New York jury’s decision finding Dr Aafia guilty on seven charges did not really surprise anyone familiar with the vindictive mindset of the US public post-9/11. Yet as the trial progressed, some hope seemed to appear since most of the crucial evidence against her proved false or confused. There were no fingerprints on the gun allegedly used on the US soldiers for instance. Other accusations also proved inconsistent so one thought that perhaps the US citizens on the jury would not show the bias and bigotry shown to so many Muslims in the US post-9/11. But alas that was not to be. Despite serious doubts about the evidence – the most obvious one being her weak physical frame, which would never have allowed her to snatch the heavy gun and target the US soldier -the jury convicted her.

But the main issue is that the Pakistani state and government were complicit in this judicial farce. They chose not to assert their right to demand Aafia be sent back to Pakistan. Since 9/11 it has been abundantly clear that the Pakistani rulers will not raise a finger to help the ordinary Pakistani citizen. In fact, they will sell their people for US dollars and allow all foreign powers to kill these innocent citizens at will. That is why the drone attacks continue to kill innocent Pakistani citizens and the state of Pakistan does nothing to stop these killings. That is why Pakistani citizens have disappeared and the state is unable or unwilling to alleviate the sufferings of the families of these persons.

Source

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Sayyidi the imam, the mufassir, the guide to Allah Most High, the knower, the sayyid, Shaykh Saleh al-Ja’fari al-Husayni al-Maliki, has written a short seera nabawiyya that he called “Al-Aqmaar an-Nooraaniyya”, and which is known as the Ja’fari Mawlid.

He has also given ijaza to every Muslim in the world to read it on the nights of Friday and Monday of every week.

I have scanned it into a PDF file, 6 megs in size.

Enjoy and don’t forget to send the thawab of the Fatiha to its author, may Allah be pleased with him.

al-Mawlid al-Ja’fari

والحمد لله رب العالمين على نعمه كلها

اللهم صل وسلم وبارك على سيدنا ومولانا محمد خير البرية

وعلى آله في كل لمحة ونفس عدد ما وسعه علم الله