Turning to your Lord

For those of us who reflect on this miraculous world in which we exist, for those of us who are aware of how much of a blessing it is for our complex bodies to work as reliably as they do, for those of us who see the destructive powers possessed by nature yet acknowledge that we are protected from them, for those of us who realize we can only create with materials/objects what God has already created, and for those of us who not only believe in a Creator but also seek refuge in him and remember him frequently; we are the ones that should know that prayer is the strongest weapon we have in this world.  I wanted to remind those of us who strive to be conscious of God about the importance of our du’as or supplications and of how God handles these supplications.

Excerpt from al Adab al Mufrad compiled by Muhammad ibn Ismail al Bukhari

The Rewards and blessings for those who make du’a (supplication/prayer):

Abu Sa’id al Khudari reported that the Prophet of Allah, upon him be peace, said, ” Any Muslim who makes du’a for that which is not sinful and does not involve the severing of family ties will recieve one of the following: either his/her prayer will be answered quickly, it will be saved for the next world, or it will ward of an equivalent amount of evil.” Sa’id said, ” Then we will make much du’a .” The Prophet replied, “Allah will do more!”

The Virtue of Du’a:

Abu Huraira reported that the Prophet of Allah, upon him be peace, said. “Nothing is dearer to Allah than du’a”

Nu’man ibn Bashir reported that the Prophet of Allah, upon him be peace, said, “Verily du’a is worship.” Thereafter the Prophet recited from the Holy Qur’an “Call me, and I will answer you” (40:60)

“Du’a is a weapon of the believer,  a pillar of Islam, and the light of the heavens and the earth” (Mustadrak)My Reflection:

I think as humans we are all apt to become heedless, I catch myself all too often.  Lately, I have been strongly upholding the importact acot of worship known as du’a or making a supplication/prayer to the Lord of the worlds.   There are people who believe in God and people who don’t and when I talk to people in my life about things that have recently occured and that I have prayed for, some say ”What a coincidence” and others say “SubhanAllah-Glory be to Allah.”   I hope none of us ever deny any of the favors our Lord bestows upon us, because there is nothing more insulting and disrespectful than ingratitude. May Allah make us those of whom turn to him in times of hardship and remember him in times of ease. Ameen…

the chemistry of interpersonal chemistry

This unique hadith has surfaced several times this week in various discussions after I had read it in Imam Bukhari’s Al-adab Al-Mufrad, prior to that I have never heard this hadith.  Upon reflection I have awoken to find the profundity of this saying.  I thought I would share it on here.  In short, Prophet Muhammad (may the Peace and Blessings of God be on him) said, “The souls of humans were once as a gathered army. Those who knew each other from before will harmonize with one another, while those who did not know eachother will not.” Narrated by both Aisha may Allah be pleased with her and Abu Hurairah may Allah be pleased with him.

Reflection:

I remember growing up and just having like this 6th sense about who I am compatible with and who I am not compatible with.  I think a majority of people use the verb “vibe” to describe this feeling of compatibility.  I also recall the movies featuring love stories where a young man and a young woman who had been acting so bashfully eventually share a kiss.  After the kiss there were either fireworks or none at all….  I believe it is an age old sensation or myth depending on how you look at it.  SubhanAllah, this hadith just kept popping up in random discussion the week after I read it for the first time.  To me it explains a lot about the interpersonal chemistry between individuals.   It makes it easy for us to understand that we cannot force a friendship to work that isnt meant to.  Simply because our souls never mingled and just dont vibe.. what an interesting explanation to a psychosocial phenomonon.. Thank you Prophet Muhammad, may the Peace and Blessings of Allah be with you for additional insight into the social aspects of the human being..

are you insane?

A question posed by most of my family members and some of my friends when I tell them I cannot eat or drink until the sunsets.  It is hard for them to understand why we fast, and even more so, at such an intense level that no one else fasts at.  For those of you who are not aware, this is the blessed month of Ramadhan.  A month that is extremely revered for Muslims.  In most religious traditions, days that are considered special, holy, or important usually call for celebration.  Which is understandable, as humans we have this deep desire to have fun and do pleasing things that we don’t usually get do on these special days.  Well in Islam, we refrain from food and drink for 30 days from sunrise to sunset, but that is not all we refrain from.  We also refrain from poor behavior, from lustful thoughts and anything else that is spiritually damaging.  We believe that during this month, shaytan (satan) is chained up and cannot try to coerce us with his evil whispers.  So any negative things we do are solely from ourselves.  This is a great month for us to get closer to God and reflect on our relationship with the Most High. 

What I find really interesting is the linguistic history of this month.  So, Ramadhan has a root word and that root word is ramida or arramad, meaning intense scorching heat.  I have recently been informed on the conceptual significance of this term and feel compelled to share it.  This month of fasting has several effects on us.  But linguistically, this root word has several characteristics that are manifested over these thirty days.  One characterisitc of ‘ramida’ is that by refraining from eating and drinking we get an intense sensation of heat in our stomachs.  Inevitably, this heat assists us in becoming more disciplined in our eating habits and physically makes our stomachs smaller. 

A second characteristic of ‘ramida’ is that this intense heat has the ability to purify things.  For example, I used to be a big camper and when we would find water in a river or somewhere taht we REALLY needed water, we would boil it a few times to rid it of as many impurities as possible.  As humans, water is a major component of our cellular makeup.  This intense ‘heat’ of Ramdhan gives purifies us in a spiritual sense.  Now you may not believe me, but you almost have to try it to believe it.  This is my fifth year fasting, second year benig Muslim.  Through my experiences I have felt how close to God I get durign this month.  I was talking to a few different friends this week and each one of them told me how they almost wnat to cry because Ramdhan is almost over.  That is beautiful, even though we fast and struggle throughout the day, not one single Muslim I know wants to give up even one day of this month because of the effects it has on us spiritually. NOTHING, nothing else I have ever experienced in my life has the ability to spiritually rejuvenate you as fasting in the month of Ramadhan does.

The third and probably most profound characteristic of this word is another property intense heat which is it’s ability to mold things.  Let us take a piece of metal.  It is used to build skyscrapers in Chicago becaus it is so strong and sturdy, but if we apply intense heat ‘ramida’ to it, it will become soft and malleable.  The beauty of this is that it happens to us too.  We go into Ramdhan with a year of bad, unbreakable habits.  This month softens our eharts and enables us to mold our behaviors, our actions, and our mentalities.  Once the heat leaves, our hearts cool off and harden with these new virtues inscribed in our hearts. There is this age old American tradition of ‘New Years Resolutions’ which I have always personally found silly.  You cannot simply cahnge a behavior over night, because an outward behaviors is a refleciton of an inward condition.  We must change these conditions in order to bring about an effect.  For example, when you have an illness, do you treat the symptoms? or the source of the symptoms?  Likewise, as the name suggest, Ramadhan instills this fury of heat into our spirit and changes us for the better. 

If you are not a Muslim, I highly suggest you try fasting for just one day.  Talk to one of your Muslims friends and tell them you want to fast with them, I guarantee you that you will get somethign more out of it than just a grumbling stomach, a dry mouth, and bad breath.  If you are Muslim and you are not fasting for whatever reason you may have drafted up in your mind, no worldy gain can make up for what it is that you are missing out on.

Until next time, peace out my peeps…

Enjoy these last few days of Ramadhan!! Take full advantage of the ‘intense heat’!  #c6b06b

Dirtstorm, Thunder, Lightning, and Downpour ; OH MY

So, our most recent Project Downtown event was this past Sunday and it was a typical Sunday in the Chi.  I woke up, picked up some brothers and rolled out to the wonderful city.  The sun was shining and people were smiling.  Once we go to the Ickes Homes the whole word flipped upside down.  Around 7:30 AM, right after we had set up our tables and began handing out food, a  storm literally appeared out of nowhere.  Storm, shmorm,  us PDers are not afraid of any rain.  But what struck us was not just rain.  It was a  wind that began to violently blow through State St forcing garbage cans into flight!  Road blocks were flying across the road!  Dirt began to lift off of the ground and whip us in our faces.  The dirt clouds were so thick that it was difficult to see more than 15 feet in front of you.  Residents ran for cover shouting ” A Tornado is coming, RUN!!!”  It was truly an experience, I just pray that our efforts are aimed in the right way and we can reach as many people as possible.  As crazy as that day was, it was rewarding to know that the residents appreciate our efforts.  I strongly encourage anyone of faith to get involved in these efforts.  Activism is essential in our deen and is integral in changing our image in this country.  Message me if you have any ?s about Project Downtown or if you want to get involved ….

Du’a for the distressed….

La ila ha illa anta subhanaka inni kuntu minazzalimeen….

There is a story shared by the Abrahamic traditions of a divenly inspired and guided man. Known by muslims as Yunus (aka. Dhan-Nun), Christians as Jonah, and Jews as Yunah, this man has a story that embodies the  forgiving nature of God. Of the known descriptions of God, a vast number of them describe his forgiveness. To name a few; Al-Ghafoor (The most forgiving), Al’Afuw (The forgiver and restorer of honor after commiting sins), Al-Tawwab (The acceptor of repentance), Al-Haleem (The clement),  Al-rahman and Al Raheem (The most merciful and compassionate).  The story of this prophet is shared through the various Abrahamic traditions.  Although the story is slightly different, it is a captivating one with a blisteringly strong message.   

     In the Qur’an, God tells us “Was there any community that believed after seeing the punishment, and its Faith at that moment, saved it from the punishment? (the answer is none)–except the people of Yunus; when they believed, We removed from them the torment of disgrace in the life of the present world, and permitted them to enjoy for a while.” (10:98 Quran)

   Nineveh was a town full of idolators, we know that God has sent many messengers to communities such as these to send a clear message of tawhid or the oneness of God.  Yunus was guided to deliver this message to the people of his town, Nineveh.  As is the case with most prophets, once Yunus began delivering this message, the people of Nineveh slowly became infuriated.  The people said something along the lines of “If what you say is true, then bring the punishment of your God, we have no fear of your threats!” Out of frustration, Yunus left Nineveh fearing that God was to deliver his punishment to the town and was hoping to escape the punishment. God said, “Remember Dhan Nun (Yunus), when he went off in anger, and imagined that We shall not punish him (the calamities which had befallen him)”! (21:87) Well, Yunus (peace be upon him) couldn’t have been more wrong.  There is no escaping the punishment of God.

As he left Nineveh, frightening clouds overcame the town. As the clouds changed colors and began to look like fire, the people of Nineveh rembered the generations before them that were destroyed.  Faith entered their hearts and they begged for God’s mercy.  God forgives all, in this case even polytheists, which is the one unforgivable sin! The people were spared and showered with God’s mercy.  They prayed to God and begged for Yunus to return and guide them to the straight path.

At this same time, Yunus (peace be upon him) was on a boat with some other men heading to another land.  Thinking that he could avoid God’s punihsment, Yunus rode along on the boat. God commanded a whale to follow the boat. The people were frightened and decided to throw things off the boat to lose weight and outrun the whale.  They drew lots (played a lottery system) and everytime Yunus was the one who lost.  The men kept redrawing, for they did want to lose Yunus!  Yunus put his faith in God and jumped into the ocean. He was swallowed by this whale.  While in the belly of the whale, Yunus prostrated and prayed the following:

La ila ha illa anta subhanaka inni kuntu minazzalimeen (Ch. Al-Anbiya (21): vs. 87)

 “None has the right to be worshipped save You (God);glory be to You (God), far removed are You (God) from any imperfection; I have been amongst the wrong-doers“ 

Tirmidhi records that anyone who is in distress and makes this supplication, has it answered immediately! 

Reflection: How many times we find ourselves in distress and turn to others than God. I recently got in a bad car accident and was two feet away from a fatal outcome.  Afterwards, I could not have been more grateful for the ability to walk out alive.  I realized that the sign of universal belief is the turning to God in a helpless situation.  Even athiests turn to God in the eye of dire distress, this is undeniable evidence of our innate inclination to turn to God at times of extreme danger. However, a submitter continues to turn toward God after receiving his mercy.  Even after this horrible experience, it was only a few weeks until I stopped making du’a for this blessing and for future blessings. I so easily fall into the trap of forgetting all the forgiveness and mercy that God has bestowed upon me. I am assuming you can relate! God willing, we can all keep this in mind and take it as a valuable lesson to never forget the favors God bestows upon us and that he never ignores a supplication, especially at times of grave danger!

Memorize this du’a and understand its story, it is very easy to memorize. This is undoubtedly a du’a to keep in ur du’actionary!

La ila ha illa anta subhanaka inni kuntu minazzalimeen (Ch. Al-Anbiya (21): vs. 87)

Muslim-Americans and Liberal Conservatism! My wake up call to the “religious right”

Recently I cannot help but question the direction in which our world has been headed.  The seemingly unending cycle of political, social and moral dissapointments that I witness on a daily basis are finally begininng to take a toll on my mind.  The point of this post is a wake up call to America’s self-proclaimed “religious right.”  The American public in general has a not so flattering view of what is Islam really is.  I do not blame anybody, but the media and ourselves, for these poor portrayals of a beautiful way of being, Islam.

Ask yourself, your neighbors, or your friends what they believe is the most conservative society in the modern world.  I guarantee they will say “muslim societies.”  Let’s be completely honest, being muslim is not easy, we do have strict guidelines we try to abide by.  In response, I cannot help but pose this question “If you believe the muslim lifestyle is so conservative, then why is it that the vast majority of muslim americans are democrats or support democratic views?” 

The answer is simple, unlike the so called religious right, we as muslims do have our views on same sex marriages, abortion, and many other issues, but our religion guides us in securing more important aspects of society first.  Islamically, our main obligation to God and humanity is to fight for social justice.  Muslims in America have a spiritual obligation to be concerned for those who are underprivledged in society, those who are oppressed, and those who need help before we begin focusing on other moral issues.  I believe that the “religious right” has truly lost their right to proclaim any sense of religiosity.  As a matter of fact, the only thing they can proclaim is that they have lost sight of the true principles of religion. The simple fact is that without a just society, your morality cannot prevail.

This is the trademark of a nation heading down a path with no moral ground!

I end with this statement to the Religious right: Do not deceive yourself thinking your politics represent your religion, because that is a grave error!  Reclaim your spirituality, religiosity, morality, or whatever you want to call it and change the direction of this country before it is too late!

Allahumunsuril muslimeen fi kulli makaan Allahumma ‘izza Islam wal muslimeen wa adhillash shirka wal mushrikeen!

The Post-Fajr Show Down

Why meet at 7 am and pass out food to the needy (Al-miskeen)?

Well, any sound minded person can conclude that there is no doubt that God listens to those who worship him at the most inconvenient of all times or at the time when everyone else is sleeping!  Late at night, incredibly early in the morning, and in times of hardship or joy.  We learn about the merits and blessings of Tahajjud (Late night prayer) and Ishraaq (The 20 minute post fajr prayer).  These prayers are optional but have remarkable blessings that follow completing these prayers. 

The late night and very early morning are blessed times for worship, due to the scarce number of people competing for the attention of God.  Well, mixing this spotlight time with charity work definitely puts an interesting twist on pleasing Allah swt! I think we as muslims so often forget that Islam is not just a proclamation, but it is embodying and living Islam (submission to God).  We should not forget the lessons that God has taught us in the Qur’an.  There is no doubt that charity work is an essential part of imaan and a cornerstone of our deen.  It is in itself, a selfless act of worship.

IN THE NAME OF GOD, THE MOST GRACIOUS, THE DISPENSER OF GRACE:

HAST THOU ever considered [the kind of man] who gives the lie to all moral law? 

Behold, it is this [kind of man] that thrusts the orphan away,

and feels no urge to feed the needy.

Woe, then, unto those praying ones

whose hearts from their prayer are remote

those who want only to be seen and praised,

and, withall, deny all assistance [to their fellow-men]!

-Suratul ma’uun

Project Downtown is an initiative started by MSA National wiht the goal to encourage young muslims to engage in good deeds, such as helping the needy. 
In Chicago, this young group of people meets right after fajr salaah and then proceeds to impoverished locations in the city.  A typical morning consists of :
1. pulling out boxes of food for about 100 people
2. informing the residents of the various housing projects/homeless shelters that we will be handing out breakfast for anyone who wants some. 
3. Du’a is made, with the local residents usually mirroring our “Ameen” with their “Amen” (Alhamdulillah).  Food is handed to everyone and friendly conversation is exchanged. 
4. Conversations typically begin with us being greeted with “Asalaamu Alaykum” by local residents or with “What church are you from?”  It truly is a great feeling to say, “Actually we aren’t from a church, we are muslims!”  The shock and gratitude pours from their faces when they say “God Bless you for your time.” 

People of these communities praise this young group of people for having enough love for their fellow man by waking up so early in the morning to pass out food and converse.  Not to mention, charity is in the sunnah of prophet Muhammad saw.  We know that more belssings are showered down on those praying while everyone else is sleeping.Insha’Allah blessings will be bestowed upon those not only worshipping Allah swt while others are sleeping, but also to those who are giving to people in need and spreading the love of Allah………. CHECK OUT THE VIDEO (more to come!)

PLEASE JOIN US! WE NEED HELP!