The Greatest Trial, Author: Issa Abbasi

How “bad” do you have “it”?  Yes, seriously, ask yourself that question.  Do you not like your hair color? Eye color? Are you stressed out? Do you have little to no “free” time? Well, this week (sorry for the delay in this post by the way!), let’s see how “bad” our Prophets used to have “it.”

None of us will ever have a trial or test like our Prophets, ever.  The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to see every trial or test as an empowering experience.  I am sure many of you have heard that see a person’s true character based on their behavior when they are under, well, it’s true.  On Friday, November 27, 2009, Muslims around the world will commemorate a specific trial given to our Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) and his son Ismael (Ishmael).

Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.) wanted a son his whole life and Allah (s.w.t.) blessed him with one at an old age through a second wife, Hajar, since his first wife Sarah was not capable of reproducing offspring.  So how did the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe test this Prophet?  After Ismail grew up, Allah (s.w.t) gave Prophet Ibrahim the command to slaughter his only son.   But why slaughter and not kill his son, isn’t it the same?  Let’s think about this.  Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.) could have thrown his son off a mountain and his job would have been done plus he would’ve obeyed his Lord’s command.  But nope, God said he had to “slaughter” his son.  Wow.  Just think of annihilating anything you love in this world.  Could you do it?

The beauty of this story is that all the characters in it obey their Lord.  Ismail (a.s.) even told his father that he should execute the command with a sharp sword so that a) the cut is fast and so that b) he does not become weak and disobey the commandment.  So to keep a long story short, Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.) goes to slaughter his son and he is relieved of his duties by his Lord and told he passed his test of obedience.  Even better, he didn’t even sacrifice his son, but a ram instead!  That is a miracle and why we should entrust all our affairs to the One and Only Lord of the Universe.

So just as a reminder to all of us as we celebrate Eid  Al Adha this weekend, there is nothing, no exam, no test in life, no sickness or illness, that we cannot overcome without putting our faith in Allah s.w.t.  And if you need more proof, I give you the best proof there is to reiterate my statement:

2: 155 Be sure we shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil), but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere,

2: 156 Who say, when afflicted with calamity: “To Allah We belong, and to Him is our return”:-

2:286 Allah tasketh not a soul beyond its scope

Sahih Bukhari 7.548 Narrated by Abu Huraira, the Prophet (PBUH) said:

How remarkable is the case of the believer! There is good for him in everything, but this is not the case for anyone except for the believer! When the believerreceives any good, he is thankful to Allah, and gets a reward; and when some misfortune befalls him, he endures it patiently, for which he is (also) rewarded.”

May you all have a blessed Eid!

The Best 10 Days Are Coming! Author, Issa Abbasi

Every year, many of us know at least one person who has made the intention to perform Hajj and is following through their intention by purchasing their ticket, taking time off from work and preparing for their pilgrimage.  But have we ever stopped to think that Hajj is not only for those who are going?  It’s true, Hajj is performed by those who are making the trip to Mecca, but for those of us who are staying behind, we also have something quite symbolic that awaits us.  We have the ten most blessed days of the year to look forward to; the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah.  Just as the last ten nights of Ramadan are the best nights of the year, the first ten days of Dhul Hijah are the best days of the year.  So this week, I will discuss how great these ten days are that are set to begin on Wednesday, November 18^th.

If you miss the month of Ramadan and all the worship and serenity it brings, then these ten days are for you.  Narrated by Ibn Abbas,  The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)  said, “No good deeds done on other days are superior to those done on these (first ten days of Dhul Hijjah).”

Believe it or not, many Muslims are not aware of the magnitude these ten days hold.  From personal observation, a lot of Muslims only fast the day of Arafah.  I will admit that I was one of them until this year insha’Allah.  Of these ten days, the ninth day is the day of Arafah, the day that those in Hajj stand on the Mountain of Arafah solely making dhikr and du’a and those who fast that are not in Hajj have the chance to have their sins forgiven for the year that past and the year upcoming.  The tenth day is the day of Eid Al Adha, where we guarantee through the sacrifice of an animal that no one will go hungry that day.

We may be asking what you can do to gain and join in their benefit?   Below you will find the answer to this question taken from a recent email Imam Muhammad Alshareef sent to his list.

1. Fasting these 9 days (being the 10^th day is Eid, it is not permissible to fast on the day of Eid)
2. Giving more charity during these 10 days
3. Say the “Eid” Takbeers loudly wherever you go. (Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar. Laa ilaaha illa Allah. Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar. Walillaahil hamd.)
4. Try to pray more prayers in the Masjid
5. Increase ties of kinship (visit family, say kind words to them, etc.)
6. Perform more voluntary prayers at home
7. Read more Quran, contemplating the meanings    
8. Do more Dhikr
9. Ask for forgiveness more frequently

For more about the benefits of these ten days, read the following source: http://bit.ly/3oNGg2.

To make your Eid udheeyah (sacrifice), you can also visit http://islamicrelief.com/Emergencies-And-Appeals/Appeals.aspx?emID=64.

So with this, let us all do our best to strive for the best of deeds these ten days so that our Eid will be our celebration of our deeds and accomplishments, insha’Allah.

Remember to send any and all feedback to islampoetry.wordpress@gmail.com!

Alonius Bundyerellus Syndrome

Yesterday…

I awoke this morning with a heavy heart. Another day passed and… well, another day was now part of my past. It had left me without much warning. Stepped off into the darkness with the sun that it had bought with it that morning. Ran off with my hopes and dreams. Slipped away from my fingers that had not held on strong enough, not understanding the value of what could have been. The potential for change, transformation, meaning, hope or any other cliché standard of something important… is no longer. This morning, technically with the same potentials, seems less momentous than yesterday. Yesterday, which is no longer with us. Now gone forever was that day that I could have made myself into someone great. Today… well today is just not THAT day. It is not the same. I missed the boat. Yesterday… The earth was primed for growth and development then. The soils soaked with fuel, awaiting a spark to burst forth with flames of significance, but I sat on the sidelines and did not provide that ignition. The soils now dry. I left the doors of opportunity unopened, un-entered and I found them sealed this morning. Yesterday was supposed to be the beginning of me… who I was supposed to be. What I was supposed to be. I am now forced to wallow in the knowledge of this sacred day that I sullied. Took for granted. Abused. I will now forever live in the regret of not cherishing… Yesterday. And now, all I have to look forward to is a bunch of todays. Woe is me.

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Alonius Bundyerellus Syndrome-

Pathology: Characterized by constant regret of what could have been and lamentation of past mistakes while in absolute denial of reality of situation at hand (i.e. today, tomorrow, life ahead).

Treatment: Slap in the face with palmar surface (back of hand may be overkill).  Studies have shown that splashing face with water, opening eyes widely and having friend say ‘you are being stupid,’ have significant impact on resolution of disease process. Factors that worsen illness include listening to R.E.M., eating ice cream for breakfast and watching Pat Robertson on the 700 club.

(Picture of long term sequalae shown below)

Not again…

I have not blogged in a while which makes me disappointed in myself.   Issa has been carrying the weight for the blog and iA he continues to do so.  My internal medicine rotation has owned most of my time but here we go.

I leave for Ghana this Saturday for a medical elective in the Kumasi South Hospital and I plan to blog about my experiences there but before that I must discuss the Fort Hood shooting.  I have absolutely no idea how to even discuss this topic because I feel as though any words that drivel out my mouth sound like a talking point.  Never have I been so discouraged to silence that I fear that I may not be sincere about my sincerity ??? That doesn’t even make sense. But this is what I am talking about…

I feel as though I have to put disclaimers about the disclaimers I make BEFORE I EVEN SAY ANYTHING!  If I say how I feel, I must put a disclaimer so some Rush Limbaugh-listening idiot doesn’t call me a sympathizer and if I state how I think, some half ignorant, ‘rush to judgment’ jerk face will call me a hypocrite. So instead, before I start… I am just going to start.  CATHARSIS!

When I heard what happened at the base the following thoughts went through my head:

‘That is really sad.’
‘I hope it is not a Muslim guy.’
‘ I hope everyone is okay.’
‘I hope my Muslim brothers and Sisters in the Army are safe.’
‘This guy must have had some psychological issues.’
‘No wonder everyone hates us.’
‘Screw you Rush Limbaugh.’ (I flipped through the radio stations to think this one)
‘Why would somebody do that?’
‘Why do Muslims keep doing stupid things like this?’
‘When are people just going to pick up a book and read?’
‘I hope there is no backlash.’
‘I pray no Muslim leader says something obtuse.’
‘Not again.’

I know that some say ‘there must be something innately wrong in the religion of these people for them to do this,’ and I could reply with the completely logical argument that ‘just because a guy is Muslim doesn’t mean he represents the religion….’ BUT honestly, I understand the sentiment. If I saw a bunch of events, back to back, carried out by individuals who were not only joined by a common ideology but declared that the reason they were doing such things is because they were told to do so by there belief system… it’s a hard sell.  What makes this situation even more frustrating is that beyond the innocent, confused, curious citizen, you have a wave of hate-filled, commercial, cult-like opportunists who spew their caustic vomitus at anyone they see vulnerable i.e. every other normal, God-fearing Muslim in this country and around the world.  Beyond that you have people in our own Muslim community who maybe don’t feel so bad when things like this happen.  And it makes me sick, sad and surprised.

I am left annoyed.  No clear answers as to what to say or do.  Islam is what drives me to be a good person, be kind to my countrymen, be honest and hardworking. America, fortunately, is threaded with the same concepts of generosity, unity and justice.  Both these aspects of my being recognize that peace is ideal but that sometimes arms are called for to protect the innocent, liberty and fairness.   Both put the onus on the individual but pride community and a sense of brotherhood.  America, as it exists, precludes the existence of a Creator, a higher power, Allah.  Islam is the perfection in ideology and practicality of that understanding.

I went to the last game of the World Series last week and was actually moved to tears when I was listening to and singing the National Anthem with Mary J Blige and the crowd full of Yankee fans (possibly the best rendition of the national anthem I have ever heard).  I can not put my finger on why.

It may be because I feel like country is the only place where I can actually practice my religion and be proud of it. Or maybe that chill up my spine was instead the manifestation of the overwhelming fear of this growing hatred of Islam in this land I grew up in.  Probably both.

I high fived complete strangers sitting around me when Matsui hit a home run. Joked with a random fan to my right about how the crackerjack guy said crrrrracka–JACK! Sang, in my miserable voice, ‘God bless America’ during the 7th inning stretch and meant it.  Chanted ‘Whose your daddy?’ at Pedro Martinez with thousands of the Yankee faithful who did not give a hoot about what I believed, the size of my beard or what I happened to share in common with the shooter at Fort Hood. I realized most people do not really have an opinion about anything and just want to live.  Live normal lives filled with the normal stresses of life. Bills, relationships, children, community, safety, illness.  They do not want to deal with the added fear of some guy, who believes in something he doesn’t understand, who will shoot up a crowd of people who don’t even get what all this hate is about anyway.  Everybody seems a little scared and there is little I seem to be able to do to lift that blanket of apprehension that envelopes them… especially when every time I seem to start lifting the covers , some guy named something Muslim goes ahead and tucks them into their bed of trepidation even tighter by killing more people.  More people. It is a scary thing when it becomes just ‘more people’–  that means that somebody lost someone who meant the world to them. Some great love, snatched away. Some shoulder to lean on, no longer available. Somebody’s ‘baby,’ has died.

This post may seem all over the place because it is.  I have proofread it like 14 times but cannot seem to capture everything that I feel needs to be said.  This guy was crazy.  Whether he psychologically ‘broke’ after years of dealing with PTSD or he actually thought he was doing something for his Lord… He was absolutely insane and… I feel bad for him either  way.  I feel bad for those who he killed… for their families… for the people who now feel unsafe every time a brown guy walks into a room and for the brown guy who gets funny looks when he walks into that same room.  I feel pretty bad for those who understand and are frustrated, and those who don’t know and are equally as frustrated.  Actually the only people I really don’t feel anything for are those who use this tragedy as a chance to exploit, misguide and hurt.

I am reminded of a verse in the Quran that brings me some comfort…

And indeed We have created man, and We know what he whispers to his own self. And We are nearer to him than his jugular vein . (50:16)

It is a comfort for me to know that the One who will be the ultimate judge of all these events, has complete knowledge of everything that happened and why it unfolded the way it did.  It is also He, who knows what is in the hearts of the man who fired his weapon upon the seemingly innocent AND He who knows what is in the hearts of us bystanders who react one way or another.

Just like I did not have any clue on how to start this post…

A Muslim’s Intent, Author: Issa Abbasi

What is your intention of reading this post? Are you reading this site purely for the sake of Allah s.w.t and for the sake of knowledge to better yourself as Muslim? Or, are you reading forward to find out some more information about Islam so you sound smarter and can say that you are more knowledgeable than your friends?  I really hope you are reading my contributions to this blog on a frequent basis for the former and not the latter.  The purpose of this post though is to remind myself first and then the rest of us all about one of the most important aspects of our deen, our intentions.

All of our actions in Islam as recorded by Saheeh Bukhari and Saheeh Muslim are rewarded by their intentions.  This was one of the greatest and most important sayings by our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).  This was such an important topic that in order for any action to be accepted purely for the sake of Allah (s.w.t.), it must be done purely for His sake.

This topic is so important to Islam that I have included a snippet of the following hadith:

“There will be brought forward a man who acquired knowledge and imparted it (to others) and recited the Qur’an. He will be brought, Allah will make him recount His blessings and he will recount them (and admit having enjoyed them in his lifetime).  Then will Allah ask: ‘What did you do (to requite these blessings)?’  He will say: ‘I acquired knowledge and disseminated it and recited the Qur’an, seeking Your pleasure.’ Allah will say: ‘You have told a lie. You acquired knowledge so that you might be called “a scholar”, and you recited the Qur’an so that it might be said,  “He is a Qari” and such has been said.’ Then orders will be passed against him and he shall be dragged with his face downward and cast into the Fire.  Then will be brought a man whom Allah had made abundantly rich and had granted every kind of wealth. He will be brought, Allah will make him recount His blessings and he will recount them and (admit having enjoyed them in his lifetime).  Allah will (then) ask: ‘What have you done (to requite these blessings)?’  He will say: ‘I spent money in every cause in which  You wished that it should be spent.’     Allah will say: ‘You are lying.   You did (so)  that   it might be said about (you): “He is a generous fellow”, and so it was said.’ Then will Allah pass orders and he will be dragged with his face downward and thrown into Hell.  (Muslim 4688)”

Could this happen to me or you? We don’t have to be scholars for us to have incorrect intentions.  But rather than focus on how you can have bad intentions, I want to focus on what we can all do to purify our intentions for each and every action we undertake.

• Conceal your good actions as much as you would conceal your bad actions. 

This sounds really hard, but it works.  When you’re doing anything for the sake of Allah s.w.t. (say praying Tahajjud at night), do your best to keep it yourself such that no one, not your spouse, parents, siblings, or friends even know that you’re doing it.  By doing this, you will inshaAllah be kept away from Ria’ (showing off) and your intention has a better chance of being pure.

• Remind yourself at the beginning, middle and end of every act why you’re doing this action.

By constantly doing this, inshaAllah you will remember Allah s.w.t. more and that you are performing a charitable act for Him and Him alone.

• Know that fighting your intention is one of the toughest and most constant battles you will have throughout your entire life.

The shaytan will always try to get to you any way he can. If he can’t get through to you in other forms, he will find a way to rob you off your deeds by changing your intentions.

• Remember that no one knows your intention except Allah (s.w.t.) and unless your intention is pure, it will not be accepted.

We don’t want to be one of those whose mountain of good deeds are erased on the day of Judgment, so let us constantly keep this in mind inshaAllah.

“And they were not commanded except that they should worship God, keeping the religion pure for Him, and worship none but Him Alone, and establish the Prayer and offer the Compulsory Charity, and that is the upright religion.” (Quran 98:5)

“Verily, Allah does not look to your faces and your wealth but He looks to your hearts and to your deeds” (Muslim).

To close, we all have a human need of wanting or belonging.  It is human nature for people to want to be praised.  Research even finds that informal praise is the best way to motivate an employee.  But everyone, even the highest scholar in Islam, will constantly battle with keeping their intention pure.  Let us all inshaAllah do our best to keep purifying our intentions, ameen.

P.S. Feel free to email us with any questions, comments, suggestions or corrections to any blog post, islampoetry.wordpress@gmail.com.  Please include the name of the blog post in your subject line and the purpose of the email (question, comment, suggestion, correction).  Feel free to also email us with any feedback or requests for an upcoming topic!

 

Where is the Answer to My Du’a?! Authors: Rizwan Ali & Issa Abbasi

Du’a is hands down one of the most powerful tools in Islam.  If you ever wanted to speak to your Lord and Creator, Allah (S.W.T.), then Du’a is your link.  Unfortunately, a number of us Muslims are not properly educated in the area of making proper Du’a.  In order to understand the proper rites of making Du’a, we must first ask a basic question; what is Du’a?  Du’a is one of the best acts of worship and a sign of Eman, which brings us closer to Allah (S.W.T.). Du’a is important because it is a sign of one’s Eman.  We are a servant of Allah (S.W.T.) and so Du’a humbles us by asking Him for anything we want and showing our true dependence on Him for everything.  Du’a is so important that is even said to be the brain of ibada!  One of the beautiful and best parts of making Du’a is that you can never make enough or ask for “too much”.  If you were to continually ask a good friend for favors over and over again, while not giving much in return, surely, that friend would eventually become fed up with you.  On the contrary, Allah (S.W.T.) wants us to continually ask Him for our needs both in this life and the Hereafter.  Unlike this friend who would be annoyed at your constant asking, Allah (S.W.T.) would become furious if you did not ask Him for your needs! Du’a also is a sign on one’s Eman, brings us closer to Allah (S.W.T.), is a sign of humility, repels Allah (S.W.T.)’s anger, a cure for all diseases, a sign of wisdom, a beloved act by Allah (S.W.T.) and has a guaranteed reward.  But can you imagine a being becoming angered at you for not asking Him for anything?!  Now you can, because Allah (S.W.T.) wants you to ask, and ask for more.

Tell me if this sounds familiar: a person finishes Salah, raises their hands and quickly says “Ya Allah, give me an A on my next test! Aaammmeeen!!” and then gets up and just runs off at the speed of light. Well, you might be chuckling (do people really even chuckle?) and then you might be saying “oh wait, that’s how I do it too ”. Well, that is not the proper way to do it, nor the way our beloved Prophet (PBUH) did it. After Salah is actually one of the best times of making Du’a and having the chance of it being accepted. However, most of us do not realize that.

And how many times has this happened to you: you want something really, really bad, and pray for it like crazy. You pray for it as much as you can, and then what happens? Your Du’a doesn’t get accepted. Why? It may be due to 3 big things:
1.) Our sins our blocking your Du’as (after all, in a hadith related by Ahmad ibn Hanbal, a man asked the Prophet(PBUH) “I’d like my prayers to be responded.” And he (PBUH) responded “If you avoid forbidden actions, your prayers will be responded.”_

2.) We ask for something Haram

3.) We don’t follow the etiquette and Sunnahs of asking Allah.

Just as there are the etiquettes at the dinner table, there are etiquettes for making Du’a. Let’s look at some of these Sunnahs and etiquette to making Du’a properly (and also how not to make them), when are the best times to make them, how does Allah(S.W.T.) responds to our Du’as, and an action item to implement this plan.

How do we make Du’a?
Anything and everything we do should start with the name of Allah. And as mentioned before, after Salah most of us just raise our hands and ask away with our list of demands and then get up and sprint away. However, the proper way to make Du’a is to:

1) Start with praising Allah. Before anything else, say:
A.) Surah Fatiha (it’s a Du’a in itself. If you don’t know the meaning, memorize it so you can say it in English too). After that, recite Surah Ikhlas, and then recite Ayatul Kursi. These are some of the BEST forms of praising Allah. After this, its better to say some sort of dhikr (I usually say “subhanAllahi wa biHamdihi, subhanAllahi al-Azeem <– one of the best forms of dhikr).

2) Then send peace and salaam to our beloved Prophet(PBUH) by reciting Thashaud .

3) After this, humble yourself by pointing out your mistakes, your bad deeds (“Ya Allah, today I did… I am a sinner, forgive me”).

4) Following this, some scholars say to start with making Du’a and asking for what you want for yourself, and then move out and ask and make Du’a for your family, and then move out further and ask for the whole Muslim Ummah. I actually perfer to do it the opposite way: I start with the Ummah, then with other specific people, and then I move closer and make Du’a for my family, and THEN I make Du’a for myself. I do this because it is easy to just make Du’a for myself and then just get lazy and forget about others. If I start with others, I know that I will have to make Du’a for the Ummah and others before I get to myself. It just works for me.

There are many ways to make Du’a, but one of the best ways is to ask Allah(S.W.T.) by His names and Attributes. This is so important, but unfortunately most of us do not realize this. Allah(S.W.T.) has so many beautiful names and attributes that He WANTS to be called by, and so when we call Him by those names, He really loves it. So, for example, when we ask for strength, we should ask Him who is Al-Qawiy, the Most Strong. We should say “Ya hawal Qawiy, grant me strength.” For patience, we should ask Him who is the Most Patient, As-Saboor. Etc, etc.

Allah (S.W.T.) is, after all, Al-Wahhab (The Bestower) and Ar-Razzaq (The Provider). But sometimes we forget to ask Him, or don’t ask enough. After realizing the importance of making Du’a and asking from (only) Allah (S.W.T.), I made a habit to, after each Salah, making Du’a for at least 10 minutes (Most people don’t give the Du’a importance and just run off and away after Salah, like we mentioned). I won’t move from my spot until the 10 minutes have passed and I had asked for as much as I could. In the beginning it was hard and I asked myself “what more can I ask for?”, but eventually what I’ve learned is that 10 minutes really isn’t enough time (!) There’s so much to ask and to be thankful for. We should be thankful for just having the ability to say “thank you” to Him. Doing this, we will realize how much we need Him.

Some of the best timings to make Du’a in which it is most likely to be answered are at the end of an obligatory Salah, after breaking one’s fast, in the last one third of the night, between adhan and iqamah, during an hour on Friday, between Asr and Maghrib on Friday, when it is raining, in sujood, during laylat al Qadr, when supplicating for one’s child, when traveling, when the Du’a is for another brother or sister who is not present, Du’a for the sick and more. Are you still whining about when your Du’a will be answered?  Insha’Allah let us all be thankful for everything and continually make Du’a, if not increase our Du’a and live righteously in order for our Du’a to be answered.

Action Item
This little 10 minute Du’a project has worked for many people, and you should also try it. After Salah, stay where you are (hey, the angels pray for you as long as you are sitting in the place where you prayed until you either move or break your wudu!) and Ask for EVERYTHING! What do you have to lose!? If He grants it to you, then great, if not, then that’s still great because He will replace that wish with something better (either in this life or in the next).

Know that you never lose by making Du’a. Because here’s how Allah(S.W.T.) answers each Du’a that we make. Allah always has three replies to our Du’a.
1) ‘Yes’
2) ‘Yes, but not now’
3) ‘I have a better plan for you’ (Either in this life or the Hereafter)

There’s never a ‘NO’, so we should just have faith and keep praying. Always remember that the person who makes Du’a is never in a state of loss.

May Allah (S.W.T.) guide us.

Open Heart Surgery, Author: Issa Abbasi

Pre-requisite: You must watch this video before beginning reading this blog entry http://bit.ly/1Yyvfd.

After watching this video, I pose the same question to you; do you know what your ending will be like?  Do any of us? From when we are born, our internal clock begins ticking down until the day we die.  For some, this clock will countdown for a long time and for others, they will be called by the Angel of Death quickly.  Do not think that a majority of people die of older age either.  As I recently learned, if you were to compare the age breakdowns of the deceased in a cemetery, you will find an equal proportion of deaths at any given age bracket.  So again, do you know what your ending will be like?

I spent two full weekends in October at AlMaghrib Institute’s “A Heart Serene: Studies in Tazkiya” course in open heart surgery.  While I was not physically operated on by Sheikh Riad Ouarzazi, a phenomenal instructor to say the least, it sure felt like I was given a new and healthy heart.

Both weekends were filled from top to bottom with what some might think is basic knowledge for Islam.  I was reminded again why I worshiped, how I worshiped and who I worship, but all for different reasons that you may be accustomed to.  Yes, we do worship Allah (s.w.t.) The Creator and Sustainer of the universe through salah, zakah, performing hajj, and fasting the month of Ramadan.  We also worship Him because we are told that mankind and jinn were created to worship our Lord, but it is actually so much deeper than this.

Our hearts were purified through learning about the different types of spiritual hearts.  We learned about how Iblis tries to bring a person down in several stages and the different stages of concentrating in our salah.  We were given lessons in patience and how the patient ones will be rewarded whether in this life or the Hereafter.  One of the most touching parts of all, was realizing how grateful we should all be to Allah (s.w.t.), the Lord of the Universe and only God.  I think the following video will suffice for an explanation http://bit.ly/Lfvnf.

I forgot to add that this weekend was filled with a lot of tears of thanks, tears of joy and tears of hope, that if you fix your faults now, Jannah can be yours and maybe inshaAllah without an account you will be one of the 4.9 billion who are let in.

Finally, the best part was for sure was the final weekend, where the 360 or so students were all given a tour of Jannah.  I wish you could have been there.  I know what I am striving for until the day I pass away more now than ever.  Can you imagine what Jannah will be like?  If you can’t, then here’s a small taste.

Imagine a place filled with rivers of honey, milk and non-intoxicating wine.  A place where the air smells like musk and the ground is made of saffron.  Imagine a place where if you practiced this religion for the sake of Allah and with perfection, you could drink from the hands of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings upon him) and if you were to do so, you would never be thirsty again!  Do you not want this for yourself or for those you care for?

To close, I am still in the Intensive Care Unit with all my classmates.  As a fellow brother who also took the class with me said, if a spectacle of dirt were to reach my heart in the ICU, all of the purification and hard work of the surgery from the last two weekends would be gone.  But while I recover and emerge with a cleaner heart free of any black and gray spots, I can promise that my future blog posts will touch upon some of the material I learned from the class. Until my next post, remember the following questions constantly, would I want to be caught dead by Allah (s.w.t.) doing this action?

For more stories and inspirational material from the class, please visit the following link http://bit.ly/bDgKh.

The Enshrouded One, Author: Issa Abbasi

If you’re like me and you live on the east coast, you’ve probably noticed that it has gotten cold and faster than normal this year.  I can’t recall any year in recent memory where my car read the outside temperature being less than 50 degrees in the mornings of early or mid October.  SubhanAllah, this week alone here in New Jersey, my car registered temperatures of 39, 41 and 43 degrees Fahrenheit!  As much denial as I had about winter approaching, I had no choice but to pull out my winter blanket this week so I could sleep warmly at night.  Naturally, we tend to as human beings become lazier in the winter season; it’s just how it is here on the east coast in North America.  We have less sun and more darkness and for most of us we have less energy, which brings me to this week’s topic.

You probably will get (or have gotten) sick of me mentioning Ramadan, but I can’t help but miss the month that just left us only four weeks ago.  That month was so special to me because the nightly prayer after taraweeh was so easy!  All you had to do was stick around after taraweeh in the Masjid and you could pray behind one the Imams in the first or second row!  And where are we only four weeks later?  Most of us, yes me included, are the enshrouded ones.  We are enshrouded and bundled up in our warm blankets in our comfortable beds sleeping the night away.

Allah (s.w.t.) reminds us in the glorious Qur’an:

“O thou folded in garments! Stand (to prayer) by night, but not all night, half of it, or a little less, or a little more; and recite the Qur’an in slow, measured rhythmic tones (Al Muzzamil: 1-4).”

Allah (s.w.t.) commands us to obey him in the morning and the night.  Especially at night, when most people are sleeping to energize for the next day at work or sleeping in over the weekend, Allah (s.w.t.) asks us to stand and obey him in prayer.

Abu Hurayra (may Allah s.w.t. be pleased with him) reported that the Messanger of Allah (s.a.w.) was asked “What prayer is most virtuous, after the obligatory prayers?” He said, “Prayer in the depths of the night.” (Muslim, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Nasa’I, Ibn Majah)

In other ahadith, Abu Umama al-Bahili (Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him, his family, and companions) said, “Hold fast to night prayer, for it was the way of the righteous before you, a way of drawing closer to your Lord, an expiation for wrong deeds, and a shield from sin.” (Tirmidhi, and others) In some narrations, there is an addition, “And it repels sickness from the body.” (Source: http://bit.ly/2qvNKC)

The Benefits of Nightly Prayer

Now please do not get me wrong, I am not telling anyone to pray all night long and work all day.  Your body has a haq (right) over you as well and you do need to rest so you can work and worship as well in the day.  What I am advocating for (again for myself and all of us) is that we return to and continue praying at night, now and months from now, when Ramadan will be a vague memory.  Remember, even in surat Al Muzzamil, we aren’t told to stand the whole night in prayer, just some of it, even half of it.   If you can’t do either of those two amounts, Allah (s.w.t.) told us to even stand for than half.  InshaAllah whatever we can pray will be greatly rewarded and here is how http://bit.ly/3uDfvT.

I encourage all of us to also read the etiquettes of tahajjud prayer in that link which also offers some very practical and useful tips for all of us as we try to become closer with The Hearer and Seer of All, Allah (s.w.t.).  May He accept all of our tahajjud and help us awake from our slumber to worship him better, ameen.

P.S.  Want a kick start to praying tahajjud?  Be sure to make it to the following event!

MAS Youth Monthly Revive
Presents
Best Friends…. Forever?
A Thorough Discussion about Friendship in the Light of the Quran and Sunnah
Speaker: Br. Mazen Mokhtar

When: Saturday, October 24th, 2009
8:00 PM to 6:00 AM
(Isha thru Fajr)

Where: Islamic Center of Passaic County (ICPC)
152 Derrom Ave
Paterson, NJ 07504
Come to a Night of Remembrance, Thought and Spirituality.
Dinner Will Be Served

I Didn’t Do it! Author: Issa Abbasi

Ah yes, the famous catch phrase of Bart Simpson.  Many little children declare their innocence with this phrase whenever they’ve done something wrong.  Parents of these children who declare their innocence after possibly breaking something at home or causing an accident, venture to guess that their child most likely did what they said they did not.  Even if a child had not said “I didn’t do it” verbally, parents know through non verbal communication that their children must have just been up to something.  Don’t believe me?  Here’s an example: When my sister and I were younger, we knew where our Mom hid the candy that we would receive with our lunch for school.  The only problem was, one day, we wanted candy and it wasn’t a school day.  So my sister and I sneaked into our parents’ room and being both vertically challenged at the time, we both grabbed a chair.  She spotted me as I stood on the chair and reached into our parents’ closet to try and pull out two pieces of fun sized candy for us. 

Success! I grabbed two pieces of candy and climbed off the chair.  We put everything back so as to seem as if we have just committed a victimless crime.  We were leaving my parents’ room and had just put our piece of candy in our respective pockets.  Just as we arrived at the doorway of our parents’ room, none other than our Mom was in front of us.  She stood in the doorway and my sister and I didn’t say a word.  Our Mom knew we were up to something.  But how could she tell?  Was it the look on our faces?  My Mom put her hand on our hearts and found they were both racing.  Our adrenaline was rushing at the time.  Did we get caught?  What happens if she caught us?  What if we got away with it? Would we get to have our piece of candy?  My Mom did indeed catch us.  We reached into our pocket and took out the pieces of candy we stole.  Hey, we tried to say I didn’t do it, but we were only lying to ourselves once that phrase or dumbfounded look on our face was gone.  We really did it.  We took the candy without asking.

Satan, Explained

So what does this childhood story teach us?  People on a daily basis are put on trial with a defense attorney to advocate that they (the suspect in question) did not commit the crime they are being accused of.  If you’ve ever watched an episode of “Law and Order”, you know that the typical cliché of a suspect when first questioned by the Police is to deny, deny and deny some more their involvement in a crime.  Until DNA evidence is introduced or a solid and unbreakable link of the suspect to the crime, the perpetrator never confesses.  When you think about it, this happens to each of us every day.  How you ask?  Whenever we commit a sin, we all ask for forgiveness from Allah (s.w.t.).  Some of us may even say “I didn’t do it Allah, the Shaytan (Satan) made me do it!”  Since he disobeyed his Lord, Shaytan has sworn to take man as an enemy and bring him down.  Created out of fire, Satan refused to prostrate to Prophet Adam (a.s.) because of his arrogance.  Thinking that fire was greater than clay, what the Prophet Adam (a.s.) was made out of, he refused to prostrate to a “lesser” (in his view) being than he.  When Allah (s.w.t.) told the Angels to prostrate to the Prophet Adam (a.s.) they did.  Shaytan could have stayed quiet and done nothing wrong because well, he’s not an angel.  But out of his arrogance, Shaytan instead revolted against The Lord of the Universe’s command and outwardly refused with his twisted reasoning.  In fact, one of Shaytan’s names, Iblis, comes from the Arabic word “Ablasa” meaning lost hope in acquiring Allah’s mercy.

Behold! We said to the angels: “Prostrate unto Adam”: They prostrated except Iblis (Satan): He said, “Shall I prostrate to one whom Thou didst create from clay?” He said: “Seest Thou? This is the one whom Thou hast honored above me! If Thou wilt but respite me to the Day of Judgment, I will surely bring his descendants under my sway – all but a few!” (Qur’an 17: 61–62)

In a lecture last year, I was informed that Shaytan is actually the number one faqih (most knowledgeable being of law).  Yes, it’s true.  Think about it.  The Shaytan knows every ruling in Islam.  If he didn’t, how would he know what you were ordained not to do? Remember, it is Shaytan’s job (what else was he set out to do after he fell out of favor with Allah (s.w.t.)?) to make sure you don’t worship the Lord of the Universe.  He will do anything and everything to lead you astray.  That’s right, he will lead you astray.  Leading someone to do something doesn’t mean you told them what to do.  If I lead you to a well of water, I didn’t necessarily, or at all, make you drink the water.  This is exactly what Shaytan does.  He leads you to a sin through waswasa (whispering) and then right before you commit that sin,  BAM!, he lets go or stops whispering to you and the sin is now on your record with your name being listed as the only conspirator.  After committing any given sin, you now feel bad (if you don’t feel bad, then you didn’t or don’t realize that you’ve just sinned and need your moral compass checked).  So does Shaytan clock out and call it a day at this point? We all wish he did, but he doesn’t.  He comes back to work and belittles you by telling you not to bother seeking forgiveness from your Lord because you’re a sinner!  Here comes the breakdown.  Shaytan, like the worst companion you can ever have, belittles you, ridicules you and tells you that you’re hopeless.  That’s not a friend, that’s an enemy. And oh by the way, you so did do it.

Verily Satan is an enemy to you: so treat him as an enemy. He only invites his adherents, that they may become Companions of the Blazing Fire. (Qur’an 35: 6)

And with this enemy of yours, if you don’t repent to the Lord of the Heavens and the Universe, you’re just going to continue to be led astray.  So if we all stayed away from the bad, we’d all be good right?  Again, we all wish it was that easy.  The better a person you are, the harder the Shaytan will try to bring you down.  Why though? Well, let’s think about this for a second.  Let’s say Shaytan is a boxer and he’s looking for an opponent.  Does he fight the weakest fighter who he would knockout in the first ten seconds? No way! Shaytan goes after the strongest person and plays mind games with them.  He wants the headlines, not the back page of the sports section.

But I don’t want to be Led Astray!

Now I know you don’t want to be led astray and neither do I.  So, let us take advice from the best place to seek advice:

“If a suggestion from Satan assail thy (mind), seek refuge with God; for He hears and knows (all things). Those who fear God, when a thought of evil from Satan assaults them, bring God to remembrance, when lo! They see (aright)! But their brethren (the evil ones) plunge them deeper into error, and never relax (their efforts). (Qur’an 7: 200–02)”

Shaytan gets to people even in their salah.  When the athan is made, Shaytan runs away very quickly from the area that people are about to pray in.  But as soon as the iqamah ends and the rows are complete, he returns after the first Allahu Akbar to begin prodding you with questions.  “Psst, do you have your keys?” “Hey, what else do you have to do after salah?”  Questions and questions keep coming to your mind such that by the time you’ve tried to focus on your salah the Imam is saying “asalamu alaikum wa rahamatullah” both times to end the salah.  Poof, there went your salah.  Your salah is so gone that the Angels throw it back at you in disgust like a professor throws a poorly written paper back at a student.  As a reminder to me first and then the rest of us, we are better than this.  We work way too hard at being Muslims, especially in this day and age to have our salah thrown back at us.

Allah (s.w.t.) also reminds us in the Quran that “Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest. (Qur’an 13:28).”  So the next time you get tempted to do anything you know you’re not supposed to do, make it a test of your will.  Fight back and remember your Lord.  In Ramadan, we were all so pious.  Shaytan was shackled (restrained) for the believers who were fasting.  Everything was so easy.  Restraining from food, arguing, back biting, vain speech, and focusing on salah was all so easy!  What happened?  Shaytan came back and he’s out to destroy me and you and everything we did in Ramadan and want to do now that Ramadan is over.  For every dollar you donated as sadaqah or towards Zakah, I am sure he wants you to take the equivalent of that money and buy something you don’t need.  For every hour you spent reading the Book of Allah (s.w.t.), he wants you to waste double, no triple, that amount of time.

Ramadan barely left us and it is never too late to repent for anything.  We must pick ourselves up and race towards good deeds.  Let us all inshaAllah renew our goals and intentions that we set in Ramadan to be continually seek the pleasure of our Lord and become better Muslims every day. Ameen, thuma Ameen.

My Boss is the Best, Author: Issa Abbasi

My boss is the best

To this I can attest

Night and Day, He created both

The Planets and the Earth, those as well

And Heaven? Yes, and Hell

He knows and sees all

Even when an old woman falls

For every good action, he multiplies my reward

He forgives me when the Accursed leads me astray

And He allows me to come back to Him when I am in disarray

I worship my boss, five times a day

Before the sun rises, while it is visible and when it sets

It is he whom I should never forget

For when I am sick, He heals me

And when I am in need, He is there for me

He is closer to me than my jugular vein

That is why worshiping him should not be done in vain

My Boss has the ultimate 401K plan

When I invest with Him, He multiplies my deposit

Without a commission or fee, my money is never squandered

Even after death, my investment multiplies and never dies

I get to take my wealth with me when I pass

Believe me; contributions to this retirement plan really do last

My Boss performs miracles

He brings death to life and life to death

He took the Prophet Musa’s staff and made it into a serpent

He tests me when I’m weak and tells me not to feel bleak

Even if a thorn pricked me, He forgives my transgressions

When everything is going well, I am thankful to Him

And when things go awry, I still thank Him

As strange as it may sound, that is true love for one’s Boss

And when one love’s this Boss, they are never in a state of loss

So I ask you oh reader

Do you have the Best Boss?

I know I do

And you can too

He’s only a Shahadah away

With His guidance, you won’t go feel any dismay