Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Yes We Can!
Alhamdulillah, this is amazing, Barack Hussein Obama is the new president of the USA. He's smart, calm and collected, he's personable and charasmatic. An African, a black man, a white man, a mixed race man, it is so surreal! May Allah(swt) make him a righteous leader, AMEEN.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Be Involved
So, this question at MSA this past week: what are/should we be involved with outside of MSA? Am I actually making that effort to branch out and build my skills? Here's a couple of clubs I've been considering:
-One, I want to swim with the fish. There actually is an organization at the University of Maryland known as Underwater Terps, and they are a scuba-diving club. How cool is that? Pros: beautiful view, adventure. Cons: cost, limited time.
-Also, since I want to be more athletic, I thought horseback-riding sounded like fun. The UMD Equestrian Team(aka UMET) is a competitive club sport team, and they compete against other schools in the state. They practice 45 mins. from campus, and a great thing is that you can ride the horses for fun!
-The ASA(African Student Association) because I'm African.
-This by far has to to be the best club ever! The Terrapin Trail Club is not only cool because it is the oldest active club on campus, but also because it provides awesome opportunities to do various recreational activities, such as canoeing, kayaking, hiking, caving(which I LOVE, and have bizarre memories of from 7th grade or so when I got stuck in a cave and we all chewed Lifesaver candies to see them light up like a spark in the dark :) ), rock climbing, and various other nature-related activities. iA, I'm gonna sign up for this!
-TerpCorps and Circle K International(similar volunteer/service-oriented groups)
-Building Bridges(very much related to my major, Public Health!)
-Cool activist group like Feminism Without Borders or C-Roots.
I think that's all for now. I'll probably have to narrow all that down just a bit. : )
Friday, August 8, 2008
Nice joint yo
This is a real, I mean, real lecture from Imam Siraj, enjoy!
http://www.halaltube.com/ramadan-prepare-yourself
http://www.halaltube.com/ramadan-prepare-yourself
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
If I performed a sin – O Prophet of Allah – would it be recorded?
The Prophet answered: Yes.
The man said: what if I repented?
The Prophet said: It will be erased.
The man added: What if I returned to the sin once again?
The Prophet answered: It will be recorded once again.
The man said: What if I repented?
The Prophet said: It will be erased.
The man said: What if I returned again?
The Prophet said: It will be recorded.
The man asked: What if I repented?
The Prophet said: It will be erased.
The man said: What if I returned again?
The Prophet said: It will be recorded.
The man asked: What if I repented?
The Prophet said: It will be erased.
The man asked: Until when will it be erased?
The Prophet (SAWS) answered, “Allah does not stop bestowing His forgiveness until you get bored of asking for it.”
The Prophet answered: Yes.
The man said: what if I repented?
The Prophet said: It will be erased.
The man added: What if I returned to the sin once again?
The Prophet answered: It will be recorded once again.
The man said: What if I repented?
The Prophet said: It will be erased.
The man said: What if I returned again?
The Prophet said: It will be recorded.
The man asked: What if I repented?
The Prophet said: It will be erased.
The man said: What if I returned again?
The Prophet said: It will be recorded.
The man asked: What if I repented?
The Prophet said: It will be erased.
The man asked: Until when will it be erased?
The Prophet (SAWS) answered, “Allah does not stop bestowing His forgiveness until you get bored of asking for it.”
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Friday, June 13, 2008
Being a Good Friend
I have been thinking about this a lot lately, since I am seeing less of people in the summertime. I'm always thinking about keeping in touch with peeps, and I know how truly hard it can get. Sometimes, a person will come into your life, and you know that they entered at the exact right moment, and that you hope and think that you will know them for a long time. This is a "friend for life". I realized that, since coming to UMCP, that I have met more of these people. This is such a wonderful thought. To see brothers and sisters(MSA, what else could I be talking about) come together for the main purpose of worshipping and aiming to please Allah(Swt). I feel like once you have this circle of friends, you are set. For what? For life : )
Let's consider the hadith of the Prophet(saws): "A person is upon the Deen of his khaleel (close friend), so look to whom you befriend." [Abu Dawud & Tirmidhee]
I think this is particularly important for our younger siblings and friends and relatives in the middle and high schools. SubhanAllah, the struggles at that age are enormous. If we look back now, all we can say is Alhamdulillah that I got throught that stage. That rebellious, I just want to have fun, always hang out with my friends and copy what they do, and what my parents say is not fair stage. Very difficult. SubhanAllah, we got through it. So, what can we do now to perhaps show our gratitude to Allah(swt)? Be a mentor. A mentor is a special friend, that you look up to and learn from. If you have a younger brother or sister, be a mentor to them. If you have a good friend who is at that age, be there for them. Just think, wouldn't you have loved it if someone were there for you, telling you, I know what it's like. Maybe you did have that, Alhamdulillah. So now it's your turn.
As human beings, we need one another to survive. SubhanAllah, sometimes I just contemplate on this thought alone. And I just think, Allahu Akbar. We have to be grateful that we are in a society where we can benefit so much from each other, as Muslims from each other, and even as Muslims from non-Muslims. How so. We can set good examples for one another, iA, and this is something my mom always says, we can also learn 'how not to be'. What more could we ask for? If we know what we should be doing and follow through with it, and then we see what we shouldn't be doing, and stay away from it, that's a double benefit!
From the best example, the Prophet(saws), we see that the Prophet(saws) was not alone as he spread the message of the religion of Islam. He had Companions, righteous Companions by his side, accompanying him as he traveled, as he preached, and always had his back, SAWS.
Also, let's consider this. If you want to have good friends, be sure that you are a good friend as well. So, it's a two-way street. In any relationship, no one can do 100%. You can do 50-50, 30-70, 10-90. It is important to be fair in your relationships with people. Do not expect a bouquet of flowers from your best friend on your birthday, when you criticize them everyday. Check yourself, and know that a friend always remembers the little things. Smile at them, give them a hug, compliment them, teach them something new, spend quality time together. If you build positive memories, then this is a friendship worth keeping. However, if your time spent together consists of one person having to defend themselves or feeling scared of sharing their feelings, then this is not healthy. A friend is like therapy. You go see them, tell them how you feel, they listen well, and they give heartfelt advice in return. If something good happens to you, they are happy for you. If something bad happens to you, they are there for you during the trial.
A good friend is more than what it sounds like. It is defined more clearly in the Hadith of the Prophet(saws):
Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) said, "Every Muslim should try to select the best companion for the life span. A companion could be a friend from the same gender. If the companion is to be from the other gender, then that companion should be a spouse to live together within the confines of rules and regulations."
He said, "Don't take a companion unless he is a believer; and don't let your food be eaten except by a godly person. "
"A true believer is a mirror to his brother. He prevents him from any harm."
Also, It is advised, "Avoid the company of the vicious, because your character would pick up their degenerate and deviant qualities without your knowing it. "The Glorious Qur'an says,"O woe is me! Would that I had not taken such a one as my friend." 25:28
So, we learn from these beautiful ayahs of the Qur'an and sayings from Rasullah(saws), that we should try to pick life-long friends(which in turn will benefit us for the Aakhira), we should try to pick good Muslims as friends and make sure we spend most of our time with them as opposed to with nonbelievers(they might rub off on you without you knowing it), and know that a true friend wants what is best for you.
And the beautiful and famous hadith: Prophet (saws) said, "The similitude of a good companion is like an owner of musk; if you don't get anything, you will get the smell of it. The similitude of a bad companion is like the blacksmith's bellows; if you are not affected by its black dirt, you will be touched by its smoke."
I apologize for the font changing halfway through. And, if anything I posted here is of benefit to you, it is by Allah's Grace and Mercy, and if I have said anything wrong, it is my own fault.
May Allah(swt) forgive all of us, and help us to be good friends. May He guide us all. May all of our good friends be of benefit to us in the Hereafter. Allahuma Ameen.
Let's consider the hadith of the Prophet(saws): "A person is upon the Deen of his khaleel (close friend), so look to whom you befriend." [Abu Dawud & Tirmidhee]
I think this is particularly important for our younger siblings and friends and relatives in the middle and high schools. SubhanAllah, the struggles at that age are enormous. If we look back now, all we can say is Alhamdulillah that I got throught that stage. That rebellious, I just want to have fun, always hang out with my friends and copy what they do, and what my parents say is not fair stage. Very difficult. SubhanAllah, we got through it. So, what can we do now to perhaps show our gratitude to Allah(swt)? Be a mentor. A mentor is a special friend, that you look up to and learn from. If you have a younger brother or sister, be a mentor to them. If you have a good friend who is at that age, be there for them. Just think, wouldn't you have loved it if someone were there for you, telling you, I know what it's like. Maybe you did have that, Alhamdulillah. So now it's your turn.
As human beings, we need one another to survive. SubhanAllah, sometimes I just contemplate on this thought alone. And I just think, Allahu Akbar. We have to be grateful that we are in a society where we can benefit so much from each other, as Muslims from each other, and even as Muslims from non-Muslims. How so. We can set good examples for one another, iA, and this is something my mom always says, we can also learn 'how not to be'. What more could we ask for? If we know what we should be doing and follow through with it, and then we see what we shouldn't be doing, and stay away from it, that's a double benefit!
From the best example, the Prophet(saws), we see that the Prophet(saws) was not alone as he spread the message of the religion of Islam. He had Companions, righteous Companions by his side, accompanying him as he traveled, as he preached, and always had his back, SAWS.
Also, let's consider this. If you want to have good friends, be sure that you are a good friend as well. So, it's a two-way street. In any relationship, no one can do 100%. You can do 50-50, 30-70, 10-90. It is important to be fair in your relationships with people. Do not expect a bouquet of flowers from your best friend on your birthday, when you criticize them everyday. Check yourself, and know that a friend always remembers the little things. Smile at them, give them a hug, compliment them, teach them something new, spend quality time together. If you build positive memories, then this is a friendship worth keeping. However, if your time spent together consists of one person having to defend themselves or feeling scared of sharing their feelings, then this is not healthy. A friend is like therapy. You go see them, tell them how you feel, they listen well, and they give heartfelt advice in return. If something good happens to you, they are happy for you. If something bad happens to you, they are there for you during the trial.
A good friend is more than what it sounds like. It is defined more clearly in the Hadith of the Prophet(saws):
Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) said, "Every Muslim should try to select the best companion for the life span. A companion could be a friend from the same gender. If the companion is to be from the other gender, then that companion should be a spouse to live together within the confines of rules and regulations."
He said, "Don't take a companion unless he is a believer; and don't let your food be eaten except by a godly person. "
"A true believer is a mirror to his brother. He prevents him from any harm."
Also, It is advised, "Avoid the company of the vicious, because your character would pick up their degenerate and deviant qualities without your knowing it. "The Glorious Qur'an says,"O woe is me! Would that I had not taken such a one as my friend." 25:28
So, we learn from these beautiful ayahs of the Qur'an and sayings from Rasullah(saws), that we should try to pick life-long friends(which in turn will benefit us for the Aakhira), we should try to pick good Muslims as friends and make sure we spend most of our time with them as opposed to with nonbelievers(they might rub off on you without you knowing it), and know that a true friend wants what is best for you.
And the beautiful and famous hadith: Prophet (saws) said, "The similitude of a good companion is like an owner of musk; if you don't get anything, you will get the smell of it. The similitude of a bad companion is like the blacksmith's bellows; if you are not affected by its black dirt, you will be touched by its smoke."
I apologize for the font changing halfway through. And, if anything I posted here is of benefit to you, it is by Allah's Grace and Mercy, and if I have said anything wrong, it is my own fault.
May Allah(swt) forgive all of us, and help us to be good friends. May He guide us all. May all of our good friends be of benefit to us in the Hereafter. Allahuma Ameen.
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