We Need Brotherhood

Assalamu alaikum my JHUMA brothers!

Alhamdulillah, I'm half way done with my 2nd year of Med School.

I really wanted to come to Houston to come chill with you brothers, but subhan Allah things didn't work out...

Good news though, Alhamdulillah Allah has blessed me with an excellent opportunity to spend some time this week with a Quran recitation expert, Brother Wisam with the Bayyinah Arabic Institute. So insha Allah, I pray Allah blesses me with some benefit of this time.

I just read an excellent translation, done by one of Ahmad (Sam)'s freinds on the issue of Brotherhood. (Check it out at the end of the e-mail)

This advice is EXCELLENT, and is a great reminder to keep our ties of brotherhood.

So I hope you guys are doin well, please keep me in your duas. :)

Salam,

-Saf

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"…Allah Said: {"Indeed, the believers are brothers…"} [al-Hujurat; 10]

Brotherhood is from the most beautiful topics that a person can talk about! It is so pure and pleasant like light! It is so rich and beloved to the heart…

However, what is the brotherhood that is referred to in the Book of Allah?

Two people can walk down a wide road as brothers in safety and relaxation with each putting his arm on the shoulders of the other out of brotherly love. However, look at them when the road becomes narrower and is only wide enough for one of them to walk behind the other - who should I give preference to? Should I walk ahead? Or should I follow my brother and let him walk ahead of me?

Then look at the road when it becomes even narrower, leaving room for only one of them to walk on it! There is only one opportunity: either me or my brother. Who will I give preference to? Do I say that this is my opportunity and he can go look for his own? Or do I say to my brother 'Take this opportunity for yourself, and I will find my own'?

This is the test.

Brotherhood in times of safety and ease is one thing, as it does not go against the desires of the self. In fact, it is itself one of those desires that a person seeks to obtain in order to achieve the sense of relaxation that comes along with it.

As for situations of hardship or personal gain, this is where true brotherhood is tested, where the distinction is made between the love for others and the love for oneself which can become hidden during times of ease and safety, causing one to assume that he is a true 'brother' who is fulfilling the implications of brotherhood!

How many gatherings, how many lectures, how many admonishments, how many advices does a person or a group need to establish this concept in their minds, such that it does not simply become a theoretical concept that doesn't go past this level? It should become present in the heart, deeply entrenched in the heart until it gives birth to physical manifestations such as is mentioned in the Book of Allah:

{"And those who before them had homes and had adopted faith, love those who emigrate to them and have no jealousy in their hearts for that which they have been given, and give them preference over themselves, even though they were in need of that. And whosoever is saved from his own covetousness, such are they who will be the successful."} [al-Hashr; 9]

It was examples like this that the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه و سلم) would work for when he was mentoring his Companions for thirteen years in Makkah and the years spent afterwards in Madinah. However, he never told himself while he was in Makkah: 'Until when will we keep teaching these concepts without doing something?' He never said this because he knew for sure that this was from the fundamental requirements of establishing the base of believers that he was working towards, and that this brotherhood - in addition to being necessary for establishing a base of believers that would serve as the seed for the Muslim nation - was also a part of the fulfillment of the behavioral aspects of لا إله إلا الله, because this statement is not simply a deep belief held in the heart. Rather, it means that one should physically adhere to what Allah has revealed and everything that has come from Him. So, adhering to this brotherhood is from the implications of this statement, and Allah Loves this brotherhood and has praised it and obligated it upon the believers in Him, and He revealed many verses regarding it, the most famous of which is:

{"O you who believe! Let not a group scoff at another group, as it may be that the latter are better than the former, nor let women scoff at other women, as it may be that the latter are better than the former, nor defame one another, nor insult one another by nicknames. How bad is it to insult one's brother after having faith! And whosoever does not repent, then such are indeed are the wrongdoers. O you who believe! Avoid much suspicion, as indeed some suspicions are sins. And spy not, neither backbite one another. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would hate it. And fear Allah. Verily, Allah is the One Who accepts repentance, Merciful."} [al-Hujurat; 11-12]

With the Qur'an…with friendship…by living with each other…by constant mentoring…with the leadership found in the noble personality of the Messenger…with the love that gushed to them from his big heart…with attention and care for each one of them as if nobody else mattered but that one person…by the active manifestation of the emotions of faith within the jama'ah…

Through these combined methods, the Messenger of Allah nurtured this brotherly group that accomplished wonders with its brotherhood, and he built this sturdy, interconnected structure whose individual parts each supported and backed up the others.

In this new strangeness in which Islam finds itself, we need exactly what was needed in its first strangeness. If we cannot achieve the same level of what they achieved, at least we should try to come close because the jahiliyyah has caused every relationship that cannot withstand all of its pressures and stay strong despite these pressures to crumble away and disintegrate.

How long will this take, and how much effort is required? I have no idea. However, I know for sure that it is absolutely necessary, and that the base from which this jahiliyyah will be faced with all its plots needs to fulfill in its physical behavior this characteristic from the characteristics of لا إله إلا الله so that it becomes worthy of the protection of Allah…"

[ Original Article: http://iskandrani.wordpress.com/2008/08/28/we-need-brotherhood/ ]

Helping those in need

Salaams all -

For the many poor and homeless people that live on our city streets, the winter months can be very trying. As difficult as it is to try to get by without food, water or shelter, it is just that much harder during the cold winter months. With the economy in recession, I've noticed more and more people on the streets of Baltimore asking for money or food. With this is in mind, I would like to share some hadith about the importance of giving food and charity to the needy.

The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: "Feed the hungry, visit the sick and set free the captives." - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 7, Hadith 552. "(The righteous are those) who feed the poor, the orphan and the captive for the love of God, saying: 'We feed you for the sake of God Alone; we seek from you neither reward nor thanks.'" - (Quran, 76:8-9).

'Uthman an-Nahdi reported that 'Abdurrahman ibn Abi Bakr as-Siddiq informed him that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: "He who has enough food for two, let him invite a third, and he who has food for four, let him invite a fifth or a sixth."

It is related from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri that the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, said: "He whose holdings exceed his needs, let him support the one whose holdings do not, and he whose food exceeds his needs, let him share it with him who does not have food."

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri says: "Then he mentioned so many kinds of property that we thought no one of us had the right to have anything surplus with us." Concerning this tradition, it is reported on the authority of Abu Musa al-Ash'ari that the Prophet (pbuh), said: "Feed the hungry, visit the sick, and ransom the prisoner."

'Umar says: "If I were to live again the past which I have already lived, I would take the surplus from the rich and distribute it among the poor immigrants (mujhajirun)."

'Ali said: "Allah, the Exalted One, has placed a due upon the properties of the rich to meet the needs of the poor. Thus, if the poor go hungry or naked or struggle because of the neglect of the rich, then Allah will hold them [the rich] accountable on the Day of Judgment and will punish them."

It is related from 'Aishah (the mother of the believers), al-Hasan ibn 'Ali, Ibn 'Umar that all of them replied to those who had asked them: "If you are asked for help in cases of blood money, heavy debt, or desperate poverty, then it is a must for you to give them from your holdings."

InshaAllah, we will remember these hadith the next time we cross someone in need.

Wa-Salaams,
Azim

Giving thanks

Salaams Bros,

Sorry I'm a bit late on my blog posting, I've been out of town with
family for break. I hope everyone had a good time getting together in
New York this past weekend, it's too bad I couldn't make it. Life is
the same as always, trying to survive through third year of medical
school and figure out what specialty of medicine I should pursue.
I've gotten some great advice from other JHUMA alumni on which
specialties they chose. It makes me very grateful to have connections
to so many people in various fields (in medicine and outside of
medicine) that are also young and Muslim. On that note, and since the
holiday of Thanksgiving just passed, I thought I would share some
Quranic verses on giving thanks to Allah (SWT):

O you who believe! Eat of the good things that We have provided for
you, and be grateful to Allah, if it is Him you worship. [Surah
Al-Baqarah, 172]

What can Allah gain by your punishment, if you are grateful and you
believe? Indeed, it is Allah who recognizes all good, and knows all
things. [Surah An-Nisa, 147]

We have enjoined on man kindness to his parents: In pain did his
mother bear him, and in pain did she give him birth. The carrying of
the (child) to his weaning is (a period of) thirty months. At length,
when he reaches the age of full strength and attains forty years, he
says, "O my Lord! Grant me that I may be grateful for Thy favor which
Thou has bestowed upon me, and upon both my parents, and that I may
work righteousness such as Thou may approve; and be gracious to me in
my issue. Truly have I turned to Thee and truly do I bow (to You) in
Islam." [Surah Al-Ahqaf, 15]

Wa-Salaams,
Zain

Love for the Sake of Allah

Assalaamu alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh my brothers,

May Allah keep myself and all of us steadfast in our worship in this post-Ramadan time. Aameen.

I am doing well, alhamdulillah... work is the same old same old, which is a good thing i suppose. Little Maryam, mashaAllah, is doing also... she has begun to take her first steps independently (no hands!) just a week ago, mashaAllah, and she has developed quite the personality as well. InshaAllah I hope you guys can see her and myself. Other than that, life is good... walhamdulillah.

Here are a few narrations that I found on love for the sake of Allah. I love you all for the sake of Allah, walhamdulillah :)


The Messenger of Allah (sall Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said that on the Day of Resurrection, Allah will Say: 'Where are those who loved one another for My glory? Today, I will shade them in My shade on the Day when there is no shade but Mine.'

The Messenger (sall Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) also said: "No two men love one another except that the better of them is the one whose love for his brother is greater."

He also said: "If a man loves his brother, he should tell him that he loves him."

A man was with the Prophet (sall Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) when another man passed by. The first man said: "O Messenger of Allah, I truly love this man." The Prophet asked him: "Did you let him know that?" He said: "No." The Prophet said: "Tell him." He caught up with him and told him: "Indeed, I love you for the sake of Allah," and the man replied: "May Allah Love you as you love me for His sake."

Greek letters

Greek Letters
Name	TeX	HTML	Name	TeX	HTML	Name	TeX	HTML	Name	TeX	HTML	Name	TeX	HTML
Alpha		Αα	Digamma		Ϝϝ	Kappa		Κκ	Omicron		Οο	Upsilon		Υυ
Beta		Ββ	Zeta		Ζζ	Lambda		Λλ	Pi		Ππ	Phi		Φφ
Gamma		Γγ	Eta		Ηη	Mu		Μμ	Rho		Ρρ	Chi		Χχ
Delta		Δδ	Theta		Θθ	Nu		Νν	Sigma		Σσ	Psi		Ψψ
Epsilon		Εε	Iota		Ιι	Xi		Ξξ	Tau		Ττ	Omega		Ωω

Do Good Deeds Now

Asalamu'alaikum Brothers!

Alhumdulilah we are in the month of Ramadhan. It has been a busy time for me. Last Sunday I had the opportunity to give an informative speech at a church, during the time when they would usually have their Sermon. I of course did some al maghrib research beforehand and listned to the Fiqh of Dawah course CDs. Alhumdulilah, after my speech many people came up to me and said that they do not believe that Jesus is God and they agree that he is just a prophet (pbuh), while others just said thank you for being clear about what Islam is. Basically, as the Figh of Dawah course pointed out, I avoided the message that we are all the same but made clear that Islam is the completion of the true message of all the prophets before Muhummad (pbuh)...These following two Sundays there will be discussion sessions to follow up with the members of this Church, inshallah...

I have also launched my new business, http://www.PeaceWand.com , so please make du'a that it is a success and that the business will succeed in collecting $100k for Islamic Relief (if you haven't bought a PeaceWand yet, you are missing out...spreading the world would also help:)

I would like to share the following hadith, which basically stresses the doing of good deeds right now, while you still can...after all this life is about collecting good deeds so that we can all enter the highest level of Jannah, inshallah...everyday we should reflect on what good deeds have I done today and ensure that for every day that passes we are doing more and more good deeds and staying away from things that don't benefit us, like T.V....may Allah enable me and us all to follow this advice.

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Hasten to do good deeds before you are overtaken by one of the seven afflictions.'' Then (giving a warning) he said, "Are you waiting for such poverty which will make you unmindful of devotion; or prosperity which will make you corrupt, or disease as will disable you, or such senility as will make you mentally unstable, or sudden death, or Ad-Dajjal who is the worst expected absent, or the Hour, and the Hour will be most grievous and most bitter".[At-Tirmidhi].

-Usman

Ramadan Iftar Dua!

Assalamu alaikum my brothers!

I hope you guys had a blessed start this Ramadan...
Lately I've been reminiscing about the blessed times we had at JHU, man I miss seeing you guys!

This past summer I finally got a chance to visit my grandparents and relatives (from my mom's side) in India.
It's been 7 years since I last went, so alhamdulillah, it has been a memorable experience!

When I got back from India, Allah blessed me with the chance to go to Houston for a 2 week Islamic program.
While there I got to finally meet baby Maryam Zamanian and her wonderful father, Sam Ahmad :)
Subhan Allah it's almost been 2 years since I last saw him!

Since then I have started back up with my 2nd year of Med school, with a short break this past weekend for ISNA in my hometown, Columbus, Ohio.

Now that Ramadan has started, I found this dua to be very relevant to help us make the best use of our time:

The prophet (SAW) declared, 'Three men whose dua is never rejected (by Allah) are: when a fasting person breaks fast (in another narration, the fasting person until he breaks his fast), the just ruler and the one who is oppressed.'[Ahmad, at-Tirmidhi - Hasan]

So next time we are anxiously waiting to break our fast, let focus on making dua :)

Check out this video to learn about how to best apply this hadith: http://www.halaltube.com/towards-an-outstanding-ramadan

Salam,
-Safi

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The Month is approaching!

Salaams all! InshaAllah, everyone is doing well. I have been doing well myself, alhumdulillah. Still working, am closing in on my one year anniversary at the law firm (and as some of you may know, I didn't think I was going to make it this long). As I am sure you all know, that most blessed month of Ramadan is fast approaching. I am definitly looking forward to it!

In Surat al-Baqara, Allah proclaims the following about the month of Ramadan:

“You who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you—so that hopefully you will have taqwa”(Surat al-Baqara: 183) and

“That you should fast is better for you, if you only knew.” (Surat al-Baqara: 184)

"The month of Ramadan is the one in which the Qur’an was sent down as guidance for mankind, with Clear Signs containing guidance and discrimination. Any of you who are resident for the month should fast it. But any of you who are ill or on a journey should fast a number of other days. Allah desires ease for you; He does not desire difficulty for you. You should complete the number of days and proclaim Allah’s greatness for the guidance He has given you so that hopefully you will be thankful."(Surat al-Baqara: 185).

In one of his sayings our Prophet (pbuh) emphasizes the importance of Ramadan as follows:

"Oh people! A great month has come over you; a blessed month... month in which Allah has made it compulsory upon you to fast by day, and voluntary to pray by night. Whoever draws nearer (to Allah) by performing any of the (optional) good deeds in (this month) shall receive the same reward as performing an obligatory deed at any other time... It is the month of patience, and the reward of patience is Heaven. It is the month of charity, and a month in which a believer's sustenance is increased..." (narrated by Ibn Khuzaymah).

InshaAllah we can all use these ayats and hadith as inspiration and do our best to make the most of this blessed month.

Azim

Obtaining happiness

Salaams all,

I hope everyone is doing well with their lives. Alhamdulillah, I've
finished two full blocks of my third year of med school and starting a
new one tomorrow. I'm still clueless as to what I want to do with my
life, but third year has definitely been a lot of fun so far and
waaaay better than the first two years of med school (for all those
currently in or going into your first two years of med school...trust
me, its all worth it in the end). I just recently moved into a new
apartment and am also busy with everything that goes with that.

Here's a hadith I found on obtaining happiness, which, according to
this hadith, is a lot easier than we make it out to be:

"Happiness is granted to he who deals with his own defects and leaves
the defects of others, spends in alms the surplus of his goods,
retains from futile words and satisfies himself with the sunnah."

Take care.

--Zain Syed

checking our intentions

Assalamu Alaikum. I apologize for the delay in posting the reminder. This is a hadith all of us know and is important for those of us seeking knowledge to check our intentions:

On the authority of Omar bin Al-Khattab, who said : I heared the messenger of Allah salla Allah u alihi wa sallam say :

"Actions are but by intention and every man shall have but that which he intended. Thus he whose migration was for Allah and His messenger, his migration was for Allah and His messenger, and he whose migration was to achieve some worldly benefit or to take some woman in marriage, his migration was for that for which he migrated."

related by Bukhari and Muslim

-Shamim

The Seriousness of Debt

Assalaamu alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh, my dear brothers,

InshaAllah I hope everyone is doing well, and is the best of health and eman. On my end, everything is going well, walhamdulillah. Over the July 4 weekend, my family and I went to the NYC/NJ area, and then to the ICNA conference in Hartford, where, mashaAllah, I was able to meet up with Usman and Nabil. The rest of you brothers were greatly missed... may Allah reunite us in this life and the next (in Jannah). Aameen.

No other real updates... my family is with my mother-in-law in Jersey for a few weeks, so I am living the bachelor's life again... I need to learn how to cook again! :) As for little Maryam bint Ahmad, she is progressing smoothly, mashaAllah... almost standing up all by herself inshaAllah.

For the reminder, I wanted to share a few ahadeeth on the seriousness and severity of being in debt... primarily as a reminder to myself, as I probably need it the most, and also to share with my brothers. May Allah help us all out of debt. Ameen.

The first hadeeth is found in Sunan an-Nasaa'i:

Al-Nasaa’i (4605) narrated that Muhammad ibn Jahsh (may Allaah be pleased with him) said:

We were sitting with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) when he raised his head towards the sky, then he put his palm on his forehead and said: "Subhaan Allaah! What a strict issue has been revealed to me!” We remained silent and were afraid. The following morning I asked him, “O Messenger of Allaah, what is this strict issue that has been revealed?” He said, “By the One in Whose hand is my soul, if a man were killed in battle for the sake of Allaah, then brought back to life, then killed and brought back to life again, then killed, and he owed a debt, he would not enter Paradise until his debt was paid off.” Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Nasaa’i, 4367.

The second narration is not a Prophet hadeeth, but rather a saying from a companion, which is found in Musannaf ‘Abd al-Razzaaq (3/57), where it says:

Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said:

O Humraan, fear Allaah and do not die in debt, lest it be taken from your good deeds when there will be no dinars and no dirhams.

The scholars of Islam warn us that if we die with a debt, and we did not settle it in this life, then on the Day of Judgment, our good deeds will be given to the debtor in order to pay for this debt, and if we have no good deeds left, then the bad deeds of the debtor will be unloaded unto us, until the debt is settled. May Allah protect us from such a situation. This doesn't just apply to monetary debts, but, as I understand, it could also occur if we did or said something against someone. Allah knows best.

I found both of these hadeeth in the following article on IslamQA.com, which discusses in even greater depth the seriousness of debt:
IslamQA - The Seriousness of Debt

I pray that Allah allows all of us to benefit from this and free us from all debt. May Allah enter us into Jannah without Hisaab. Aameen!

Wassalaam,
Ahmad

Fwd: A Letter for My Brother in Islam

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Bushra <no0r.a1a.qalbii@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, Jun 22, 2008 at 1:04 PM
Subject: Fwd: A Letter for My Brother in Islam
To: Atif Ali <atif611@gmail.com>, "Mr. Asif M Siddiqui" <asif.siddiqui99@stjohns.edu>, LI - Muslims Against Hunger <muslimsagainsthunger.li@gmail.com>, Nabil Rab <nabilrab@gmail.com>, abulmasakeen@yahoo.com, MarieRose Bhuiyan <mrab9@msn.com>, shariqfarooqi@hotmail.com, shariqhinnah@hotmail.com, "aymun@msn.com" <aymun@msn.com>, baseer <baseer518@gmail.com>

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Memoona Syed <m_syed813@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, Jun 19, 2008 at 9:23 PM
Subject: [InstituteAtIcna_2008] A Letter for My Brother in Islam
To: InstituteAtIcna_2008@yahoogroups.com

Assalaamualaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuh, I hope you are all in the best of Iman and Health. Here is a message that was emailed to me. I thought it was extremely beneficial and profound. So Read, Enjoy and most importantly Benefit. For all the sisters, pass it on to your brothers :) wassalaamualaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuh ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A Letter for My Brother in Islam: Be a Man!       My dear Muslim brother,   Be a Man! Be courageous and faithful. Be strict but kind and wise. Follow the way of our beloved prophet - may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him - and the way of his companions.   Be a Muslim. Care for your family, brothers and sisters in Islam. Help the elders of the community and show everyone the true spirit of Islam. Be like the prophet (peace be upon him) – "His manners were the Quran." Make dawa and talk to people about Islam. Be a messenger of the messenger of Allah. The prophet (Salallaahu' alahiwasalam) said:  "balligho anny wa law aya" – "tell people something about me, even if 't were one verse".  Help people see and follow the right path. Be a sign that speaks about Islam without even saying a word. Let your actions speak. The Quran says:  "Who is better in speech than one who calls (men) to Allah and works righteousness and says I am one of those who bow down in Islam" (Quran: 41, 33)   Be a son. Be a son who is kind and merciful to his parents. Be a son who is patient, understanding and grateful for his parents' endless care and love. Be a son who deserves a parent's du'a for guidance, forgiveness and blessings.   Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala said: Thy Lord hath decreed that ye worship none but Him, and that ye be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in thy life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honour. (Quran: 17, 23)   Furthermore, Abu Huraira reported that a person came to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and said: Who among the people is most deserving of a fine treatment from my hand? He said: Your mother. He again said: Then who (is the next one)? He said: Again it is your mother (who deserves the best treatment from you). He said: Then who (is the next one)? He (the Holy Prophet) said: Again, it is your mother. He (again) said: Then who? Thereupon he said: Then it is your father.   Our beloved prophet (peace be upon him) said in another Hadith: the most actions beloved to Allah are:   1. Salah on time 2. Being good and dutiful to one's parents and 3. Jihad fee sabeel Allah   Be a brother. Be a loving brother; care for your sisters. Drive them instead of letting them walk or use the subway... accompany them instead of letting them go alone. Be a "mixture" of kindness, love, and understanding. Be the one a sister looks up to for advice or help. Be the one she confides in. Teach her and help her be the best Muslimah she can be, but be careful not to scold her or be angry at her, for this way you push her away. The Prophet (Salallaahu' alahiwasalam) said: "La tagdab wa laka al Jannah" - "Do not be angry and you will have the Jannah." So don't be angry when she mistakes, she is a human being.   Be a husband. Love your wife. Teach her and help her. Educate her and appreciate her efforts and work.  Be her teacher and advisor, for Allah will hold you accountable for her. Treat her with respect and love as an equal for the prophet (Salallaahu' alahiwasalam) ) continuously urged you: "Be kind (nice) to women."   And lastly...Be a father. Be a role model for your sons and daughters. Be the hero they look up to. Be the one who "shows" instead of "tells" them what is right or wrong. Be the model that your daughter will look up to when seeking a husband. Be the man your son will want to be.   Be a Muslim and be all that. Be the one to take your loved ones with you onto the path of Allah. Be the guardian and soldier who will protect your loved ones, your home and the Ummah from the tricks of the evil Satan.   Be a Man.  Be a man with all the qualities and meanings that are encompensated within the word 'Man'.   In one of his khutbas, my beloved syaikh said that "the criteria for determining manliness are not only in terms of material well-being, like good looks, physical agility, material success, but also in terms of excellent virtues and good conduct expressed in good deeds."   So Be a Man. I asked for Wisdom......... And Allah gave me Problems to solve.

__._,_.___

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'Umar bin 'Abd Al- 'Aziz said: "None can reach the state of taqwa until he possesses neither actions nor words that can be exposed to his embarrassment, either in this world or the Hereafter," and he was once asked: "When does the worshipper reach the peak of taqwa?" So he replied,: "If he puts all the thoughts and desires in his heart on a plate and then wandered around in the market, he should not feel ashamed of anything there." [Min Akhlaq As-Salaf; p 56]

updated rotation

Jhu brothers are trying to share knowledge with each other and also stay connected to each other through this blog, inshallah. Nabil-->Gerald-->Omair-->Sam-->Sameer-->Abad-->Shamim-->Ibraheem-->Moktar-->Bilal-->Zain-->Javed-->Azim-->Safi--> Imad-->Usman-->Nurain-->Arif-->Yusuf-->Nabil-->REPEAT

Salam from Nabil

Assalamu Alaikom brothers,

 

Hope all is well. Sorry for the delay. I'm missing you brothers. Chicago was a lot of fun, alhamdulliah. From rowing to IV ping pong, Chicago was too much fun. Imad, thanks for hosting us, bro. May Allah reward you and your family for your hospitality and  generosity. Ameen!  I'm looking forward to our next trip, iA.

 

I wanted to welcome our new JHUMA alumuni to our group, Moktar, Omair, Javed, Arif, and Abad. It will be nice to hear from you in the upcoming weeks. Please see the end of the email for the rotation schedule.

 

School-wise, I'm not taking any classes this month and will resume in July, iA.  In terms of work, I've been coming up to Boston for the last couple of weeks and will be working here till the end of this month, iA. It has been a lot of grunt work, but alhamdullilah, the work has given me different perspectives. Family-wise, a lot of my extended family (from New Zealand, Kuwait, Cali, etc) have been visiting our home and is been nice spending time with them.  Besides that, its been same ol. 

 

Please keep me in your prayers and iA, I will do the same. May Allah protect us from Shaitan's whispers and always give us peace of heart in this life and the next. Ameen!

 

The following hadith gives me a lot of hope and comfort. May Allah help us become closer servants. Ameen!

Abu Hurairah, radiyallahu 'anhu, reported that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, said:

"Allah the Almighty has said: 'Whosoever acts with enmity towards a closer servant of Mine (wali), I will indeed declare war against him. Nothing endears My servant to Me than doing of what I have made obligatory upon him to do. And My servant continues to draw nearer to Me with supererogatory (nawafil) prayers so that I shall love him. When I love him, I shall be his hearing with which he shall hear, his sight with which he shall see, his hands with which he shall hold, and his feet with which he shall walk. And if he asks (something) of Me, I shall surely give it to him, and if he takes refuge in Me, I shall certainly grant him it.'"

[Al-Bukhari]

 

 Be safe and take care of yourselves. Gerald, you are up on the blog.

Peace,

Nabil

 

P.S. For more info on the hadith: http://fortyhadith.iiu.edu.my/hadith38.htm

 

Muslim is a Brother of a Muslim

Asalamu'alaikum,

Alhumdulilah, I finally got a little more challenging tasks to do at work to keep me occupied. It has been extremely hot, in the 90's this weekend, even up here in Vermont...Just toe let you know that it does get hot up here...

The following hadith narrated in both Bukhari and Muslim explain some ways of dealing with fellow Muslims that have a huge reward both in this life and the next:

"A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim - he does not wrong him nor does he forsake him when he is in need; whosoever is fulfilling the needs of his brother, Allah is fulfilling his needs; whosoever removes distress from a believer, Allah removes from him a distress from a distressful aspect of the Day of Resurrection; and whosoever conceals the faults of a Muslim, Allah will conceal his faults on the Day of Resurrection."

How should Muslims Eat?

Assalamu alaikum,

I'm taking my final exams for 1st year med school this week, alhamdulillah!

So for all you guys, I'll share with you a video I recently made on "The Muslim Smile Diet",
which goes over How Muslims should eat.

Based primarily on 1 Ayah, and 1 Hadith:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBfL25WKMy8

It should take about 10 minutes to watch the video, so Enjoy!

Salam,
-Safi

Surat An-Nur

Salaams all,

InshaAllah, you are all doing well. I've been very busy the last few months with work. I've just completed my 7th month at my current job (at a law firm), and things are finally starting to make sense (you'd think that after 3 years of law school, I would have learned some of this stuff, but really, I didn't). It's been tough, but inshaAllah, it will continue to get better. Unfortunately, I won't be able to meet up with those of you going to chicago (I have to attend a wedding that same weekend that I can't miss). But for those of you who are going - have a great time. I'd like to share a verse with you all from Surat An-Nur, which I thought was very beautiful:

الله نور السماوات والأرض مثل نوره كمشكاة فيها مصباح المصباح في زجاجة الزجاجة كأنها كوكب دري يوقد من شجرة مباركة زيتونة لا شرقية و لا غربية يكاد زيتها يضيء و لو لم تمسسه نار نور على نور يهدي الله لنوره من يشاء و يضرب الله الأمثال للناس و الله بكل شيء عليم

Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of His Light is as (if there were) a niche and within it a lamp, the lamp is in glass, the glass as it were a brilliant star, lit from a blessed tree, an olive, neither of the east (i.e. neither it gets sun-rays only in the morning) nor of the west (i.e. nor it gets sun-rays only in the afternoon, but it is exposed to the sun all day long), whose oil would almost glow forth (of itself), though no fire touched it. Light upon Light! Allah guides to His Light whom He wills. And Allah sets forth parables for mankind, and Allah is All-Knower of everything.

The tafsir on this verse is pretty detailed and you can find it here if you want a better understanding: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ABewley/nur.html
theres also additional commentary here:
http://www.islaam.com/Article.aspx?id=659

Azim

Verifying information

Salaams,

Sorry for the late posting, I'm in the middle of a pretty busy family
medicine rotation. And yes, I know family medicine is supposed to be
relaxed...but this guy never stops. But as busy as it's been, I'm
really learning alot and realizing why I actually went to medical
school hahaha. For all those in earlier years...trust me, all that
studying actually does pay off. Unfortunately, I won't be able to
make the latest Chicago trip since I have an exam that Friday, and I
will need to travel on Sunday. I hope all those that go have an
awesome time. I found a verse of the Quran that I liked and would
like to share with the group:

"And follow not (O man i.e., say not, or do not or witness not, etc.)
that of which you have no knowledge. Verily! The hearing, and the
sight, and the heart, of each of those you will be questioned (by
Allah)." 17:36

Take care,
Zain

Akhlaq (etiquettes)

Assalamu Alaikum brothers. I hope you are all doing well and hope to see as many of you as possible in Chicago. My hadith this cycle focuses on akhlaq or ettiquettes.

· Islam & Migration: A true Muslim is the one from whom other Muslims are safe from his tongue & hand & the true immigrant is the one who migrated from what Allah prevented him to do. (Bukhari)

May Allah give us the taufeeq to follow this advise. Ameen.

-Shamim

Fear Allah wherever you may be ...

Assalaamu alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh, brothers,

InshaAllah all is well with everyone. I'm sorry I couldn't see more of you guys when I visited NJ/NY/Baltimore a few weeks back, but inshaAllah, we will have an opportunity to meet up in the near future.

As for me, alhamdulillah, I have no complaints. Maryam is progressing, alhamdulillah... she now stands when holding on to something, and, mashaAllah, she said her first word a little over a week ago... it was "baba" =) (alhamdulillah, I was training her to say baba for the last few months, and by the grace of Allah, it worked, mashaAllah). We've been trying to get her to say "Allah" as well, but mashaAllah, I think the "l" sound is a bit more advanced than the b's and m's :). Anyways, below is the hadeeth I would like to share. Please forgive me for being a little late on the post. As always, please keep me and my family in your duas, and please don't hesitate to give any naseehah.

Jazaakumullahu khayran.
-Ahmad

http://fortyhadith.iiu.edu.my/hadith18.htm

Hadith #18 from Imam An-Nawawi's 40 Hadith:

Abu Dhar Jundub bin Junadah and Abu Abdul Rahman Mu’adh bin Jabal, radiyallahu anhuma, reported that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, said:

“Fear Allah wherever you may be; follow up an evil deed with a good one which will wipe (the former) out, and behave good-naturedly towards people.”

[Al-Tirmidhi relates it, saying: It is a good (hasan) Tradition. In some copies he says: It is a good and genuine (hasan and sahih) Hadith.]

Assalamu Alaikom

Assalamu Alaiokm brothers,

 

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise (each other)). Verily the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things).

~ Qur'an 49:13

 

Hope all is well with everyone. Things are cool, alhamdullilah. I need to take better care of my classes (please make Dua). I'm still working from home on the Maine project.

 

Family is fine, alhamdullilah. It looks my brother is probably going to Stony Brook. He didn't get into most of the IVs, and got waitlisted at a couple of schools . However, he has a full ride at Stony, alhamdulillah, and this is mashAllah, a nice option. Please keep him and my family in your prayers. May Allah always protect our family members from shaytan's whispers and give them peace of heart in this life and the next. Ameen!.

 

It was nice meeting up with Sam and Shamim last wknd and iA, I'm planning on going to Hopkins for the undergradate graduation (May 22nd). Let me know if anyone is interested in coming as well (hopefully, I'll roll down with Imad).

 

Also, we need to figure out our summer getaway. Any ideas for place/time?

 

Talk to you all soon, iA. Hope your brothers benefit from the ayah and advice below. May Alllah bless us all with righteous, beautiful spouses. Ameen!

 

A man goes to a Sheikh after the birth of his first child, seeking advice on how to raise him properly, and as a good Muslim. The Sheikh's response took him with surprise. He told him, "You are too late." "What do you mean?" the man asked. "My son is just a day old..." The Sheikh replied, "You are too late. Your child has already come into this world. The time to worry about your children is before you get married...when you are out to choose your wife.

 

Peace,

Nabil

 

Nurain's Post

Salam Brothers

Hope you are all doing great In sha Allah! I know its been along time
since I've spoken to many of you and I hope that you'll forgive me for
that and that we shall talk in the near future, In Sha Allah. Things
are going well for me Alhamdulillah, started a new block in med
school - immunology and microbiology and have started my peds
outpatient clerkship and preparing for the summer, In Sha Allah, i'll
be in Thailand researching child diarrheal illnesses among Burmese
refugees by surveying mothers as to their treatments and preventions
of these diseases as well as assessing their water sanitation
practices. Please pray for me that I may accomplish some good things
safety and help these people In sha Allah - also please keep this
information of my travels amongst ourselves :)

So instead of giving a hadith, I wanted to share a story that was told
to me by someone very dear. It was basically what he had learned in a
hukbah and relates to Surah Noah - and the gist of it is that if we
are to ask Allah for help - who else can help us - we should make sure
we are asking for his forgiveness before we ask for help

I tried looking up the specifics of this matter and am probably doing
it no justice what so ever (please forgive me, I ask Allah for
forgiveness and ask that you all correct me in this matter) What I did
come across from talking to this person was that the Prophet (PBUH)
would ask for Allah's forgiveness 700 times in a day (or it might have
been in a sitting after prayer)! before asking him of what he wanted.

The other part of this piece is that by asking forgiveness for
something, we should work hard not to repeat our offense. In Sha
Allah, by doing this Allah will grant us our wishes which I hope will
lead us to become closer to him and aid others.

Below are a few lines from Surah Noah that I think are pertinent to
this and the entire surah.

71:10 "Saying, 'Ask forgiveness from your Lord; for He is Oft-Forgiving;
Faqultu istaghfiroo rabbakum innahu kanaghaffaran

71:11 "'He will send rain to you in abundance;
Yursili alssamaa AAalaykummidraran

71:12 "'Give you increase in wealth and sons; and bestow on you
gardens and bestow on you rivers (of flowing water).
Wayumdidkum bi-amwalin wabaneenawayajAAal lakum jannatin wayajAAal
lakum anharan

Surah 71. Noah

71:1 We sent Noah to his People (with the Command): "Do thou warn thy
People before there comes to them a grievous Penalty."
Inna arsalna noohan ilaqawmihi an anthir qawmaka min qabli an
ya/tiyahum AAathabunaleemun

71:2 He said: "O my People! I am to you a Warner, clear and open:
Qala ya qawmi innee lakum natheerunmubeenun

71:3 "That ye should worship Allah, fear Him and obey me:
Ani oAAbudoo Allaha waittaqoohuwaateeAAooni

71:4 "So He may forgive you your sins and give you respite for a
stated Term: for when the Term given by Allah is accomplished, it
cannot be put forward: if ye only knew."
Yaghfir lakum min thunoobikumwayu-akhkhirkum ila ajalin musamman
inna ajala Allahiitha jaa la yu-akhkharu law kuntumtaAAlamoona

71:5 He said: "O my Lord! I have called to my People night and day:
Qala rabbi innee daAAawtu qawmeelaylan wanaharan

71:6 "But my call only increases (their) flight (from the Right).
Falam yazidhum duAAa-ee illafiraran

71:7 "And every time I have called to them, that Thou mightest forgive
them, they have (only) thrust their fingers into their ears, covered
themselves up with their garments, grown obstinate, and given
themselves up to arrogance.
Wa-innee kullama daAAawtuhumlitaghfira lahum jaAAaloo asabiAAahum
fee athanihimwaistaghshaw thiyabahum waasarroo waistakbarooistikbaran

71:8 "So I have called to them aloud;
Thumma innee daAAawtuhum jiharan

71:9 "Further I have spoken to them in public and secretly in private,
Thumma innee aAAlantu lahum waasrartu lahumisraran

71:10 "Saying, 'Ask forgiveness from your Lord; for He is Oft-Forgiving;
Faqultu istaghfiroo rabbakum innahu kanaghaffaran

71:11 "'He will send rain to you in abundance;
Yursili alssamaa AAalaykummidraran

71:12 "'Give you increase in wealth and sons; and bestow on you
gardens and bestow on you rivers (of flowing water).
Wayumdidkum bi-amwalin wabaneenawayajAAal lakum jannatin wayajAAal
lakum anharan

71:13 "'What is the matter with you, that ye place not your hope for
kindness and long-suffering in Allah,-
Ma lakum la tarjoona lillahiwaqaran

71:14 "'Seeing that it is He that has created you in diverse stages?
Waqad khalaqakum atwaran

71:15 "'See ye not how Allah has created the seven heavens one above another,
Alam taraw kayfa khalaqa AllahusabAAa samawatin tibaqan

71:16 "'And made the moon a light in their midst, and made the sun as
a (Glorious) Lamp?
WajaAAala alqamara feehinna nooran wajaAAalaalshshamsa sirajan

71:17 "'And Allah has produced you from the earth growing (gradually),
WaAllahu anbatakum mina al-ardinabatan

71:18 "'And in the End He will return you into the (earth), and raise
you forth (again at the Resurrection)?
Thumma yuAAeedukum feehawayukhrijukum ikhrajan

71:19 "'And Allah has made the earth for you as a carpet (spread out),
WaAllahu jaAAala lakumu al-ardabisatan

71:20 "'That ye may go about therein, in spacious roads.'"
Litaslukoo minha subulan fijajan

71:21 Noah said: "O my Lord! They have disobeyed me, but they follow
(men) whose wealth and children give them no increase but only Loss.
Qala noohun rabbi innahum AAasawneewaittabaAAoo man lam yazidhu
maluhu wawaladuhu illakhasaran

71:22 "And they have devised a tremendous Plot.
Wamakaroo makran kubbaran

71:23 "And they have said (to each other), 'Abandon not your gods:
Abandon neither Wadd nor Suwa', neither Yaguth nor Ya'uq, nor Nasr';-
Waqaloo la tatharunna alihatakumwala tatharunna waddan wala
suwaAAanwala yaghootha wayaAAooqa wanasran

71:24 "They have already misled many; and grant Thou no increase to
the wrong-doers but in straying (from their mark)."
Waqad adalloo katheeran walatazidi alththalimeena illa dalalan

71:25 Because of their sins they were drowned (in the flood), and were
made to enter the Fire (of Punishment): and they found- in lieu of
Allah- none to help them.
Mimma khatee-atihimoghriqoo faodkhiloo naran falam yajidoo lahum min
dooniAllahi ansaran

71:26 And Noah, said: "O my Lord! Leave not of the Unbelievers, a
single one on earth!
Waqala noohun rabbi latathar AAala al-ardi mina alkafireenadayyaran

71:27 "For, if Thou dost leave (any of) them, they will but mislead
Thy devotees, and they will breed none but wicked ungrateful ones.
Innaka in tatharhum yudillooAAibadaka wala yalidoo illa fajirankaffaran

71:28 "O my Lord! Forgive me, my parents, all who enter my house in
Faith, and (all) believing men and believing women: and to the
wrong-doers grant Thou no increase but in perdition!"
Rabbi ighfir lee waliwalidayyawaliman dakhala baytiya mu/minan
walilmu/mineena waalmu/minatiwala tazidi alththalimeena illatabaran

--
Nurain Fuseini, MHS
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
MS1

Reaction of a Believer to Situations

Asalamu'alaikum,

Alhumdulilah, every situation is from Allah and good can be derived from it even if on the outside it seems all bad. This of course applies to situations brought upon us not bad situations that we choose to get involved in.

"How amazing is the affair of the believer! Everything which happens is good for him. And that is for no one except the believer. When he encounters good times and ease, he gives thanks and that is good for him and if he encounters hardship he is steadfast and that is good for him."
Muslim


"There is no hardship which afflicts a Muslim but that Allah expiates with it some sin of his - even a thorn which pricks him."
Muslim and Bukhari

{Every soul will taste death. And we test you with bad and with good as a trial. And unto us you will return.}
Al-Anbiyaa: 35

Ibn Abbas said about this verse: "We will test you with hardship and with ease, with good health and with sickness, with wealth and with poverty, with the halaal and with the haraam, with obedience and with disobedience and with right guidance and with misguidance - in order that we may establish how you have shown gratitude (for the "good" tests) and how you have remained steadfast (in the face of the "bad" tests)." And unto us you will return - so that Allah will reward each and every soul according to their actions.

-Usman

Even the little things...

Salaams guys,

First off, welcome Najiib! I'm kinda semi-chillin'; school's not so bad right now. As this is a time when many of us aren't where we want to be financially yet, I especially like to keep the entirety of the following in mind:

Take care,
imad

Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said,

“There is no person who does not have the obligation of (doing) charity every day that the sun rises.”

Whereupon he was asked, “O Messenger of Allah, from where would we get something to give in charity (so often)?” To which he (peace and blessings be upon him) replied,

“Indeed the gates to goodness are many: glorifying God, praising Him, magnifying Him, saying ‘There is no god but Allah,’ enjoining the good and forbidding the wrong, removing (any source of) harm from the road, making the deaf hear (and understand), guiding the blind, showing the seeker his need, striving as far as your two legs could carry you and with deep concern to give succor to him who asks, carrying with the strength of your arms (the burdens of) the weak. All these are (acts of) charity.” And he added, “And your smiling in the face of your brother is charity, your removing of stones, thorns, and bones from people’s paths is charity, and your guiding a man gone astray in the world is charity for you.”

Traveling...

Assalamu alaikum!

This whole week I have been Spring Breaking with my whole family in California.

I've definitely noticed that traveling comes with its troubles, indeed as the prophet (SAS) is narrated to have said: "Traveling is a piece of punishment"

And as Najib mentioned, if we are patient during our trials we'll be rewarded, insha Allah.

...
Subhan Allah, the sights in California are Amazing! Some of the best in the world, no doubt.

If any of you plan on traveling anytime soon, here is a great dua ( and video) to do before traveling.
(translation below)

And as it was narrated: The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: "Three supplications will not be rejected (by Allah (SWT)), the supplication of the parent for his child, the supplication of the one who is fasting, and the supplication of the traveler." [al-Bayhaqi, at-Tirmidhi - Sahih]


Translation: 'Allaah is the greatest, Allaah is the greatest,
Allaah is the greatest, How perfect He is,
The One Who has place this (transport) at our service,
and we ourselves would not have been capable of that, and to our Lord if our final destiny.
O Allaah, we ask You for birr and taqwaa in this journey of ours,
and we ask You for deeds which please You.
O Allaah, facilitate our journey and let us cover its distance quickly.
O Allaah, You are The Companion on the journey and The Successor over the family,
O Allaah, I take refuge with You from the difficulties of travel,
from having a change of hearts and being in a bad predicament,
and I take refuge in You from an ill fated outcome with wealth and family.'

…upon returning the same supplication is recited with the following addition:(ii)

'We return, repent, worship and praise our Lord.'



Salam,
-Safi

Wealth and Poverty

It was a usual meeting. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) was in his place and his companions gathered around him to hear the words of wisdom and guidance. Suddenly a poor man in rags appeared, saluted the assembly:

"Salamun Alaikum" (Peace be on you)

And finding a vacant place comfortably sat down.The Prophet (S.A.W.) had taught them that all Muslims were brothers and in an assembly one should sit wherever one finds a place, regardless of any status. Now, it so happened that this poor man was seated next to a very rich man. The rich man felt very disturbed and tried to collect the edges of his dress around himself, so that the poor man didn't touch them. The Prophet (S.A.W.) observed this and addressing the rich man he (S.A.W.) said:

"Perhaps you are afraid that his poverty would affect you?"

"No, O Messenger of Allah," he said.

"Then perhaps you were apprehensive about some of your wealth flying away to him?"

" No, O Messenger of Allah."

"Or you feared that your clothes would become dirty if he touched them?"

" No, O Messenger of Allah."" Then why did you draw yourself and your clothes away from him?"

The rich man said:

"I admit that was the most undesirable thing to do. It was an error and I confess my guilt. Now to make amends for it I will give away half of my wealth to this Muslim brother so that I may be forgiven."

Just as he said this, the poor man rose and said,"O Prophet of Allah, I do not accept this offer."

People present were taken by surprise, they thought that the poor man was a fool, but then he explained: "O Prophet of Allah, I refuse to accept this offer because I fear that I might then become arrogant and ill-treat my Muslim brothers the way he did to me."

Hard work

Salaams all,

Well I'm at the end of my second year already, I'll be done Inshallah
in one week (we end things quick here at UVA). Can't believe two
years of med school are almost over. After my finals I'll be coming
back to Baltimore to study for the boards, and I might actually spend
most of my time at the lower levels of good ol' Milton S. Eisenhower
Library...back where we all started haha. Other than that life goes
on as always...although nothing is really going on in my life other
than school right now. I know alot of us are in grad school or
working right now and I thought I'd find a hadith about working hard
and being self sufficient.

A man of the Ansar came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and begged
from him. He (the Prophet) asked: Have you nothing in your house? He
replied: Yes, a piece of cloth, a part of which we wear and a part of
which we spread (on the ground), and a wooden bowl from which we drink
water. He said: Bring them to me. He then brought these articles to
him, and he (the Prophet) took them in his hands and asked: Who will
buy these? A man said: I shall offer to buy them for one dirham. He
said twice or thrice: Who will offer more than one dirham? Another man
said: I shall buy them for offered and bought them for two dirhams. He
gave the two dirhams to him and took the two dirhams and, giving them
to the owner Ansari, he and said: Buy food with one dirham for your
family, and buy an axe with the second dirham, and bring it to me. The
Ansar brought the axe to the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him), who
fixed a handle on it with his own hands and said: Go, gather firewood
and sell it, and do not let me see you for a fortnight. The man went
away, and gathered firewood and sold it. When he had earned ten
dirhams, he came to the prophet and told him that he had bought a
garment with some of them and food with his earnings the others. (Abu
Dawud, Hadith 1637)

Wasalaams,
Zain

Depending on Obligatory Deeds

Assalamu Alaikum brothers. I hope you are all well. I have Alhumdullilah the last few weeks been taking a streamlined ulema course. One of the imma that went w/us to hajj is teaching. The 3 subjects this semester are Tafseer-ul-Quran (right now we're doing Surah Yaseen), Aqeedah & An-Nawawi's 40 hadith. We are supposed to memorized the Quran & Hadith in their original Arabic along w/their meanings in English. In addition we are learning to read & write in Arabic. In this spirit I want to pass on the latest hadith we covered. Enjoy.

Depending on Obligatory Deeds: A man asked the Messenger of Allah: Do you think that if I perform the obligatory prayers, fast in Ramadan, treat as lawful that which is lawful & treat as forbidden & do nothing further, I shall enter Paradise? He said: Yes. (Muslim)


-Akhi Shamim

The Dunya will never satisfy us!

Assalaamu alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh,

InshaAllah everything is going well with you guys. Same old same old here, alhamdulillah. Little Maryam just turned 6 months this past Tuesday... she sits with support now, mashaAllah, and inshaAllah will soon be sitting independently.

By the way, I will be in New Jersey on March 22 - April 6 (with a brief stopover in Washington DC on March 24-28 for training). Look forward to seeing some of you guys again inshaAllah.

Here is the hadeeth I wanted to share. MashaAllah, it shows that no matter how much we are given in the dunya, things of this dunya will NEVER satisfy us. The true reward lies with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, in the aakhira, in seeking His repentance, and thus earning His pleasure. May Allah allow us to understand and implement this hadeeth in our lives. Aameen.

Ibn 'Abbas reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "If the son of Adam possessed a valley full of gold, he would want to have two valleys, yet his mouth will only be filled by earth. Allah turns towards those who turn in repentance." [Bukhari, Muslim]

wassalaam,
Ahmad

Asalaamu Alaikum

Asalaamu Alaikum brothers,

I'm doing well and looking forward to my brother's visit later today insha' Allah. I think we have to reccognize the minor losses in our lives as just that and from time to time the selfish part of me can blow these things out of proportion. We must remember that our time here is short and if we become distracted by the things that don't matter we may put ourselves at greater loss. This is truly one of my favorite surat because it helps me to bring back into perspective a major loss versus a minor loss. I hope all is well with you brothers and insha' Allah our paths cross soon. Ahmed you are up...

Al-Asr
1. WaalAAasri
1. By (the Token of) Time (through the ages),
2. Inna al-insana lafee khusrin
2. Verily Man is in loss,
3. Illa allatheena amanoo waAAamiloo alssalihati watawasaw bialhaqqi watawasaw bialssabri
3. Except such as have Faith, and do righteous deeds, and (join together) in the mutual teaching of Truth, and of Patience and Constancy.

Salam from Nabil

Assalamu Alaikom brothers,

 

Hope all is well. Things are good, alhamullilah. My project in Maine recently swiched to a 100% remote model and I've been working from home for the last month... Its cool, but the work hasn't been the most stimulating. But, alhamdullilah, its been convenient and this schedule will hopefully allow me to gain more of the MBA experience these next two months, inshAllah. My spring semester started last Saturday and looks to be interesting (econ and stats classes).

 

So, I attended a AlMagrib seminar on Manners/Code of Conduct and wanted to share some of my favorite hadith on good manners. SubhanAllah, it was amazing to learn the importance/emphasis and high regard of good manners in our deen. 

 

Lets start thinking and planning for our summer trip, iA. Also, it would be great if everyone reminded the next person in the rotation at the end of our email/posts. So, Gerald, you are up.

 

AbudDarda reported, the Prophet (S) said, "There is nothing heavier than good character put in the scale of a believer on the Day of Resurrection." (Narrated by Abu-Dawud)

 

An-Nawwas bin Sam'an (R) reported: I asked the Messenger of Allah (S) about virtue and sin, and he said, "Virtue is noble behavior, and sin is that which creates dobut and you do no like people to know about it." (Narrated by Muslim)

 

Abu Umamah Al-Bahili (R) reported: Messenger of Allah (S) said, "I guarantee a house in Jannah for one who gives up arguing, even if he is in the right; and I guarantee a home in the middle of Jannah for one who abandons lying even for the sake of fun, and I guarantee a house in the highest part of Jannah for one who has good manners. " (Narrated by Abud Dawood)

Abdullah bin 'Amr reported that Allah's Apostle said, 'The best among you are those who have the best manners and character.'  (Narrated by Bhukari)

Narrated 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud: A man came to Allah's Apostle and said, "O Allah's Apostle! What do you say about a man who loves some people but cannot catch up with their good deeds?" Allah's Apostle said, "Everyone will be with those whom he loves." ( Narrated by Bhukari

 

Be safe and take care, brothers. Talk to you all soon, iA.

 

Peace,

Nabil

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yusuf''s post: "Allah's Will (be done). There is no power but with Allah."

Assalamu alaikum brothers,
I hope everyone is doing well. For those brothers in medical school Ican tell you that it gets much better after second year so hang inthere, Insha Allah. The recent news and pictures of the tornadoesreminded me of the following passage from the Quran. Sometimes it'shard to remember how fragile our everyday comforts really are.
Al-KahfSet forth to them the parable of two men: for one of them We providedtwo gardens of grapevines and surrounded them with date-palms: inbetween the two We placed corn-fields. (32) Each of those gardensbrought forth its produce, and failed not in the least therein: in themidst of them We caused a river to flow. (33) (Abundant) was theproduce this man had: he said to his companion, in the course of amutual argument: "More wealth have I than you, and more honour andpower in (my following of) men." (34) He went into his garden in astate (of mind) unjust to his soul: He said "I deem not that this willever perish. (35) "Nor do I deem that the Hour (of Judgment) will(ever) come: even if I am brought back to my Lord I shall surely find(there) something better in exchange." (36) His companion said to him,in the course of the argument with him: "Dost thou deny Him Whocreated thee out of dust then out of a sperm-drop, then fashioned theeinto a man? (37) "But (I think) for my part that he is Allah, my Lord,and none shall I associate with my Lord. (38) "Why didst thou not, asthou wentest into thy garden, say: `Allah's Will (be done)! There isno power but with Allah!' If thou dost see me less than thee in wealthand sons (39) "It may be that my Lord will give me something betterthan thy garden, and that He will send on thy garden thunderbolts (byway of reckoning) from heaven, making it (but) slippery sand!― (40)"Or the water of the garden will run off underground so that thou wiltnever be able to find it." (41) So his fruits (and enjoyment) wereencompassed (with ruin), and he remained twisting and turning hishands over what he had spent on his property, which had (now) tumbledto pieces to its very foundations, and he could only say "Woe is me!would I had never ascribed partners to my Lord and Cherisher!" (42)Nor had he numbers to help him against Allah, nor was he able todeliver himself. (43) There, the (only) protection comes from Allah,the True One. He is the Best to reward and the Best to give success.(44)

Suppressing anger and forgiving others

Asalamu'alikum Bros,

Alhumdulilah I am doing welland inshallah all of you are too. These days I am busy with work, Masjid (I am on the exec committee) or planning my next business venture (please make dua that my next business venture is successful as well as beneficial to others). The hadith that Imad posted is perfect for solving many disputes that occur in Masajids and for that matter between Muslims all over...The part about "avoid quarelling even if you are in the right" is especially relevant. My local Masjid had many such problems, but alhumdulilah with the new board things are turning around.

I would like to share the folowing ayat:
“And hasten to forgiveness from your Lord and a Garden, as wide as the heavens and the earth; it is prepared for those who keep their duty, those who spend (in charity) in ease as well as in adversity and those who suppress anger and pardon people. And Allah loves the doers of good to others.” — 3:133–134

-Usman

Everyday things to think about.

AA guys,

I'm doing well, Alhumdulilah, and I hope you all are, too. I plugging away at school, trying to not let anatomy get the best of me. I'm finding it really tough. For that reason, I have no other updates since I've been relatively one-track minded. Though, I'm continuing to enjoy the Muslim presence here. We all don't hang out (b/c there isn't a lot of time for that), but it's just nice praying together inbetween classes and see each other during the day.

Well, here are the goods...

Narrated AbuUmamah:

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: I guarantee a house in the surroundings of Paradise for a man who avoids quarrelling even if he were in the right, a house in the middle of Paradise for a man who avoids lying even if he were joking, and a house in the upper part of Paradise for a man who made his character good.

{Book 41, Number 4782 : Sunan Abu Dawud}

Take care and salaams,
imad