When West met East :)

I've just come back from a vacation to the UAE and Pakistan. This was my first time back with the niqab.... yeah I KNOW! Alhamdolillah, it went well and I live to tell the story :) Both these places were once home to me and its strange how once familiar faces and places seem inhospitable... or maybe it was the niqab! On the flip side, there were some close friendships which grew closer and this time for the sake of Allah SWT. But this writeup is not about that part of my trip, rather about the differences I found between practicing Muslims living in a "Muslim" land vs a non-muslim land. The main difference is that here we are trying to save our Iman from a largely non-muslim environment. Thats how we are raising our kids too and hence we limit exposure to TV (watching the content closely) and make sure we spend time with them and know who their friends are (and their mums!). We are close-knit with the Muslim community at large, trying to instill values from the Sunnah of brotherhood and avoiding gheebah. We are working hard to get ourselves and our kids an Islamic education so they know their roots. We read labels like no-ones business so that we may eat halal. Alot of us are involved in youth counselling and da'wah work. We try to be responsible citizens as we consider ourselves ambassadors of our deen; to the extent that we dont steal parking-spots and wait in lines PATIENTLY!
Initially, I was a little taken aback when i found these elements almost missing from people there. Soon however, i understood that these were not their concerns. Living in a Muslim land, even if only in name - their Iman is being nurtured by the environment and hence their concerns are focussed on the tiny kinks like should we listen to nasheed, or that scholar is only "mostly" right hence we should avoid him, or you must cover properly or else! Granted, all these are valid but it seemed very authoritarian to me till I understood that this is the difference between living here and there. They can focus on gaining knowledge and have many avenues to spreading it; their kids already have Muslim friends, they just need to see what kind of Muslims, there is plenty of halal entertainment hence avoiding nasheeds is not a big deal; they dont need big Islamic conferences as the work is being done on a state level and Islamic congregations are held at many places. They have the luxury to focus on micro issues. Alhamdolillah! both serve to strengthen our Iman and not only that, I also understood how Allah SWT has split our work. How merciful He is!
Mainly, I'd like to address my friends and family on both ends of the world to try and find common ground as our circumstances are different but our motive is one - to please Allah SWT. We should avoid pinpointing mistakes in lives in these different parts of the world and try to live in piety wherever we are as all land belongs to Allah. We must appreciate our differences and challenges and try to adapt to situations we are placed in. It was the will of Allah SWT and we must adhere. Inshallah!

Pitiful!

When a person enters Islam, after having spent a considerable part of their lives as part of other faiths or cultures; they are vulnerable. Its natural, if you think about it really. To me (born muslim) they may seem very strong for having taken such a strong step... but you must understand the step was the easy part - the real challenge lies ahead. Normally when we come across a new muslim, we get all excited and start bombarding them with questions and giving them advice. Its true that its an eman booster to meet a revert, yet dont you think how weak we are as Muslims that we are seeking strength and motivation from a person who has just entered Islam!!? We should be able to offer moral support and strength to our new brother/sister, instead we only have advice for them what to do and what not do. Who made you the spokesperson anyway?! And this is not my opinion, i have heard multiple reverts complain how some of the things we (born muslims) say are so insensitive. We dont realize that these people are at a very tentative stage in their life - like a baby, if you may. They need to be nurtured and protected and supported. Please, dear (born) muslims, be considerate of this when you meet a new Muslim next time. Offer them support and kind words, not personal questions and advice.

To go “back” or not to go “back”… In the light of Surat Yusuf

The gems from Surat Yusuf are too many and much too deep to ever be condensed into one tafsir, let alone one article; but a recent study of the surat drew light on a burning issue – Should I go back (to my homeland) or should I stay? SubhanAllah, Surat Yusuf has many parallels to our lives in this society and Inshallah in this article I will point to a few.

So, when they took him away, they all agreed to throw him down to the bottom of the well, and We inspired in him:"Indeed, you shall (one day) inform them of this their affair, when they know (you) not." (v15)

To begin with, let’s look at Yusuf AS’s forced transfer to Egypt. It wasn’t what he wanted or what his father has thought out for him; but Allah’s plan for him was different – so they both submitted and exhibited sabr. Similarly, the decision to come here or live here may not be ours entirely but Allah has willed us to be here so we should be thankful and see what our purpose here could be. We should make du’a that Allah takes from us the work he put us here to do.

And when he [Yusuf] attained his full manhood, We gave him wisdom and knowledge (the Prophethood), thus We reward the Muhsinun (doers of good) (v22)

Secondly, although Yusuf AS was not kept as a slave (in its full meaning), he however had no free will. He had suddenly been pulled out of a pious home, a pious land into people who were idol-worshippers. Just imagine his situation, he was the only “Muslim” in all of Egypt! Yet, he did not give up his deen. He accepted his situation as the will of Allah, but he did not assimilate. Alhamdolillah, we are blessed to be living here WITH free will and a healthy community of Muslims; yet we find ourselves complacent and trying our best to “fit in” even at the cost of our Iman.

And she, in whose house he was, sought to seduce him (to do an evil act), she closed the doors and said: "Come on, O you." He said: "I seek refuge in Allah (or Allah forbid)! Truly, he (your husband) is my master! He made my stay agreeable! (So I will never betray him). Verily, the Zalimun (wrong and evil-doers) will never be successful." (v23)

Yusuf AS was harassed (by Aziz’s wife) and wrongfully accused, and spent many years in prison. He said:"O my Lord! Prison is more to my liking than that to which they invite me..” (v33)He spoke up to defend his honor, yet he preferred to be imprisoned than displease Allah SWT.

(They said): "Inform us of the interpretation of this. Verily, we think you are one of the Muhsinun (doers of good )(v36)

Did he become bitter and vengeful? We see from the comments of his fellow cellmates that on the contrary not only did he keep his ikhlaq, he had earned their trust and had continued da’wah behind bars. "O two companions of the prison! Are many different lords (gods) better or Allah, the One, the Irresistible? (v39).Living as a minority group can be challenging but if we have our goal in mind; if we are striving to fulfill our purpose, Allah’s help will be with us. We will only be tried as much as we can bear. We must always think of this when we have been wronged.

Upon being set free, Yusuf AS was invited to become the King’s consort. So not only was he a free man, he also had the financial means to go “back” to his family. Yet, not only did he choose a harder job (as minister of agriculture), he chose to stay in Egypt. He chose to help the same people who had enslaved him, harassed him, accused him and imprisoned him. Now that’s goodwill! He had khair in his heart for the people and could not leave knowing, they would perish without his help. SubhanAllah! How Allah made this very decision of his a means to re-unite with his family.

We must learn from this story that if we constantly question our life here; not only are we ungrateful we are also unproductive. We can never do effective da’wah till we have real concern for the people; we must not harbor hate and resentment – hate the sin, not the sinner. Allah has chosen us from millions of people to be here, to propagate the true path. Are we refusing this opportunity?

Indeed in their stories, there is a lesson for men of understanding. It (the Qur'an) is not a forged statement but a confirmation of the Allah's existing Books [the Taurat (Torah), the Injeel (Gospel) and other Scriptures of Allah] and a detailed explanation of everything and a guide and a Mercy for the people who believe.(v111)

The walking dawah-machine

Since I have worn the niqab, I have gotten more questions in one year than I did in 7+ years of wearing just the hijab.  There are one of two reasons people will question you, they are genuinely curious (rare) or they want to prove you are wrong/oppressed. Needless to say I have come across the latter more often. As aggravating as it is, I realized Allah SWT is fulfilling my very wish – I wanted to do dawah and now I get to dispense information about my deen and who knows who Allah will guide and I would have served as in instrument. 

An important thing to do is pre-think certain scenarios and the kinds of questions you could be asked. This is applicable to hijabis too, however having been on both sides of the spectrum;  I faced frequent and tougher critics after the niqab. I have learned it the hard way, and Alhamdolillah I walked away unscathed but there was definitely chance of some serious damage.  If I am going to be at the doctors where I have one-on-one time with doctor/nurse/assistant/technician; chances of being asked something are higher.  I strategize.  One very important point is that you will probably have 15 seconds to justify your point of view/ answer the question. Don’t go into details of hadith and sunnah – words which will mean nothing to a non-muslim. I was randomly asked at a breakfast place by the cook behind the counter:  How come you are wearing this (pointing to my niqab) and your friend is only covering her head? Yeah, I know! How do you answer that in 2 seconds? I did the best I could, I wish I was better prepared.

There is great deal of unawareness among the muslims today. I may be speaking of born-muslims only, though. Muslims are unaware of their impact or the light they carry. They are careless of it. It’s time to change and live like the ummah was meant to… with enlightenment, awareness, contemplation, conviction and honesty.

Alhamdolillah, my niqab has turned me into a walking dawah-machine and I love it, for the sake of Allah ofcourse.

TMI!

I'm not THAT old, i think! Afterall i grew up in the age of the internet - the reason for my very lame email ids; which i have not changed simply because i wanted to keep the contacts, etc Anyway, so although i'm not THAT old biologically but i think i may be aging faster mentally. I feel in this day and age, there is simply too much information - I dont know how one person can feel anything but overwhelmed; but maybe that was the purpose. There was a time in middle school (long long time ago); we had to do a write up on TV: boom or bust? As in, is the television really advantageous or has more cons. An argument which may be totally redundant now. I argued in favor of TV, saying parents could always control content on it (see told you im not THAT old), etc etc. The internet however, is a whole different monster. It is so vast and there are so many glitches with privacy sharing - i cannot wrap my mind around it. I apologize for this rant, but there is nothing you cant look up on the internet. I have an investigative nature, i try not to cross that line into "poking my nose in your business" type, and i am a self-proclaimed Google Queen. My friends and family come to me if they want to research anything and i usually find what they are looking for, which they couldn't find in that place and hence the title. Thank you. Anyway so since im so investigative, I just click and click and click and sometimes find information i should totally not have access to. I manage to pull myself back but I wonder do those people realize i know and can know so much more about them?! Technology has its advantages, i think those are apparent and i dont need to discuss them. The cons, however, are not discussed that often. My husband is an IT guy, and he is the most paranoid person when it comes to privacy and he wouldn't trust the internet for a second.
During the khilafa of Omar RA, once on a routine walk around the city, he chanced upon a house where people were drinking. His companion was outraged and said how dare these people transgress while you are khalifa. Omar RA was a no-nonsense kind of guy and one would expect him to be even more outraged than his companion. His response, instead was lets ask forgiveness from Allah for we have witnessed what was none of our business (not verbatim). You see where im going with this.
A picture is worth a thousand words - ummmmm, not true entirely. Imagine someone took a picture of you and posted it on facebook - and the scene was not appropriate. It could be one of 1000 things, you could have been exiting the place, you could have regretted that event and ask for forgiveness from Allah, you could have just been snapped at an angle which makes it look like that, you could have been there by mistake, you could be changed person since then... but what will the viewer think? Not the best, thats for sure.
So although i have related Omar RA's character, we must protect ourselves too. The internet is a vast and complicated monster and in envelopes you in ways you dont know; and with so much floating around, you dont care.
With access to technology, comes responsibility. Check yourself, limit exposure if you feel you cannot control yourself, be aware of whats out there. As muslims, we must look out for one another. Defaming and backbiting, both are prohibited so its beside the point if someone did something or not. Find ways to "halalify" your usage, do not blindly forward content without checking its source.
Yeah im definitely ageing faster mentally! But i genuinely care about muslim youth (and some not so youthful) who are so ignorant of the prints their actions leave :(
May Allah protect me and you from TMI!

"Declaring" my Faith

Recently i got the opportunity to sit with some revert Muslims (they will forever be referred to as "reverts" i guess!) and some other people who have been involved in helping new Muslims. It was an enligtening and enriching experience to say the least. SubhanAllah, how Allah chooses people to do His work!
Coming back to the topic however, the general issues faced by new Muslims centered around social life, or lack thereof and acceptance /trouble from family. As far as social life is concerned, we can well imagine how difficult it must be for a new muslim to integrate his past lifestyle with his new values and this generally leaves him feeling lonely. Whereas, some or most reverts face a lot of resistance from immediate family on their new life choice; some actually experience abuse.
As i was hearing these, mostly i was thankful to Allah for my woes are so insignificant compared to so many people. But i was feeling something else too... it was like wow, this happens with me too and i'm a born muslim! albeit to a different degree but the base problem is the same. As i realised this, i had an epiphany... i was just as much a new muslim as they were! I may not have the need to declare my faith but since i have started trying to practice it i have faced similar opposition. This epiphany was a little saddening, as it meant that despite having the advantage of being born to a muslim family, being raised in a muslim land - i had turned away from my faith! May Allah forgive my many sins and keep me steadfast on the right path! Ameen. This write up was for cathartic reasons, but i'm sure many of you will resonate with it - it just reiterates how much harder we need to work and how much we need to worry about the younger generation to save them from darkness of ignorance.
SubhanAllah! Prophet Ibraheem AS, khaleel Allah advised his children to make sure they associate no one with Allah and die Muslim. The same advice was given by Prophet Yaqub AS, to his children and by Luqman RA to his son. These were prophets/pious people, we can imagine the upbringing their kids had yet they felt the need to leave the legacy of Tawheed and correct aqeedah for their children, by verbally advising them. Can you just imagine what we need to be doing with our children, our families or those under our care?
Now that i AM Muslim - i will strive in the way of Allah to make up for lost time and to try my best to raise an aware ummah. There, i made my niyyah - its your turn now :)

Al-Kitaab

I was struck by a sad yet very true realisation today - most of my family and many of my friends do not know what the Quran says! I just realised they may read the arabic text and must have been reading it since they knew how to read - but have no idea of its commandments... and they may die in that state!! Qur'an is the book of Allah, its the written guidance that He the Almighty chose for us so we may better our life and akhirah. This is the code of life, the source of all knowledge. This is the word of Allah which the prophet (saw ) strove day and night to establish; for which the sahaba laid down their lives. Muslims are required to know its every word like it was the only thing worth living for - and we dont even bother to find out what it means! Are we even surprised at our state of affairs now, when we have abandoned Allah's guidance.
To every Muslim out there - i love you for the sake of Allah and thats why your ignorance worries me so. I, too was where you may be now and Alhamdolillah bi iznillah, turned to Allah. Its never too late to turn back, but please do; before life, health, time runs out.

Da'wah

Like a lot of you out there,i too held a strong desire to do da'wa; even when i didnt know how to or whom to. Initially i held back because i felt i needed to more ilm (knowledge) and before i knew it, i had transformed into a "nobody". Lesson 1: You never stay stagnant, either you grow or regress. Lesson 2: Da'wa doesnt need degrees upon degrees in Islam. The Prophet SAW said we must give dawa even if by one kalimah (word). When you think you cant say anything "just yet", its shaytan stopping you (do i really need to tell you why). Lesson 3: Knowledge grows when you spread it - you hold steadfast to what you preach and you find more opportunities to learn.
So the next challenge was whom to give da'wa to? This will differ for everyone. But needless to say it starts from  your inner circle. Think of it like you have a special treat, who would you share it with? Here's a footnote: you must have true concern for those you preach.
I started feeling it may be easier to give da'wa to muslims, who are eager to listen or to those who atleast respect the information and you generally have a soft spot for loved ones and Muslims in general- but what about non-muslims? Now, since i'm a female active da'wa to non-muslims is not really in my realm of responsibilities but for all those for whom it is, this may help. It was a little unimaginable, for me atleast, to have real concern (of akhirah) for my non-muslim grocer/neighbor/bus driver and i was praying to Allah that i somehow develop this well-wishing attitude. You know what helped? and this is ironic - da'wa. yep! i recently handed a da'wa CD to a neighbor who i am not all that fond of and i didnt even realise it till weeks later that i dont dislike him as much now. SubhanAllah, that is the power of Da'wa.
FINAL LESSON: Spread the word and it will soften you heart, Inshallah!!