Dar al-Mahamid
Towards Perfecting Character
“Repetition Teaches Even a Donkey” by Taaiebah Ebrahim
Apr 3rd
“Repetition teaches even a donkey”
Taaiebah Ebrahim
If we hear something enough times, we eventually believe it. True story. Psychology proved it.
Nudity is normal. And good. The less the better. Covering up, not good. Actually, unattractive, even repulsive and strange. Icky. You don’t want to go there, basically.
Television and movies tell us this all the time. And it’s been a gradual process for years now. As an acid test, google search early & current Beyonce.
We don’t notice just how much we’re exposed to, when it happens in bite sizes, after periods of time. And when it reflects directly onto our communities, because we who watch, and listen, eventually start believing, suddenly become shocked and befuddled because we were totally oblivious to begin with.
And that’s why, my virtual friends, I’m here to inform you about a website. It’s not ideal to watch telly, movies, series, etc. because nearly all viewing, desensitizes us in all forms of shamelessness. Nudity becomes the modern swag, vulgarity the internationally accepted language, free mixing, not even a thought to cross one’s mind, innit though.
Since a teeny tiny person, I never understood the concept of “smoking is allowed only once we’re old enough to be responsible to make proper decisions and then we can smoke”. Kids would get in trouble for smoking in school…but adults could freely do it because they knew better and they flexed the responsible muscle that is only earned once signs of puberty officially faded. Insert blank stare with a hint of a dirty look. Okay more than just a hint.
Well, the same with this ironic, but useful website I’m about to spill. It’s called www.kids-in-mind.com. A brilliant site, that limits the viewing displeasure of your kids – to control what enters their hearts and controls their thinking. The irony is that it’s aptly named to keep the best interest of your kids in mind. But really, how is this different from the I’m old and responsible enough to smoke scenario above. Pish posh. We are able to control so much less once we allow ourselves to be deceived into believing that we can control our hearts fully, or even majorly, hells, even to a small degree. Because after we accept this fallacy as fact, we then allow ourselves permission to enter environments where we expose ourselves to situations, of what we and the majority deem as harmless entertainment and fun. And then before we know it, we’re roaming in a deep, dark, gloomy pit where the wretches dwell and we have no idea how we got there. And we don’t even recognise that it was due to our own unconcious and blind steps that we are sitting amongst these wretches. It’s a confusing place. Easiest way to get to this pit, is through the eye.
There’s so much wisdom in the term ‘lowering your gaze’, but we crave to misleadingly fulfill an exciting kick daily, even hourly, and we take this term with a pinch of salt without realising the power our sight has over us, by raising our gazes boldly, and in turn ruining our hearts by disobeying Allah’s laws of protection over us, and thus, leading lives we weren’t intended to lead. Sadness.
Now folks, we get to the point.
In majority of my blarticles, i put forth a challenge to the brave, courageous and awesome people. So again, *Old English accent* hear me now, for I have a challenge to pose forth.
You can’t watch anything for 21 days. At all. And in that free time where you’d relax and zone out into the black box, whether the TV or the internet for mindless Youtube surfing and whatever else, you would now, be productive. *Shock horror*
There are fun ways to be productive.
Seriously, it just takes some creativity, and planning in advance.
But if you’re itching and scratching like you’ve been off crack as opposed to being clean off telly, then for the least, control your viewing by checking the ratings (www.kids-in-mind.com) to save your eyes and mind.
Some of the writing on the site though, can be terribly graphic, and that in itself can taint this exercise, so tread carefully, or you might just get slain by dragons that hide in the corners of your mind, you never even knew existed. Tin tin tirrrn.
Too many times we have liquid diets, detox diets, fad diets, and with the over-medicated society we live in, we consume ridiculous amounts of pills and vitamins, as opposed to going the old school way. Good old fruit and vegetables.
So this 21 day eye-heart detox doesn’t cost as much as those over-the-counter drugs, but if you wish to, you definitely may send me money. I accept cash money, unmarked bills. Zimbabwean dollars and counterfeit moola earns you a free slap over the head.
Takers?
I spreken to myself first, before others. Over and out.
Stay greedy for Jannah
Masjid al-Munowar presents Tazkiyyat al-Qulub
Feb 27th
As-Salaamu ‘Alaykum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakaatuhu
It is with great pleasure that I invite you, your family and friends to this much needed and long awaited lecture series, Tazkiyyat al-Qulub / Purification of the Hearts. Please make the public aware of this lecture series and we will greatly appreciate that. Shukran
Come and join us from the 28th February and explore this fundamental aspect of Islam. What is Tazkiyyat al-Qulub?
As an ill body cannot digest food, an ill heart cannot digest the worshipping of Allah. In order to reach the state of Ihsan (to worship Allah as though you can see him, but if you cannot, then to worship Him with the certainty that He sees you), it is necessary to purify the heart. It is impossible for the heart to be pure, unless it has been cleansed of all spiritual illnesses, filth and the bad effects left behind by the sins perpetrated by the limbs. None of this can be achieved except with the Dhikr of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta`alaa. This is what is taught in the discipline of the Tasawwuf of Shariah which is in full accordance to the teachings of the pious predecessors (the Sahabah, the Taabi`een and the Tabi` al-Taabi`een) of the Ahlu al-Sunnah wa al-Jama`ah of the best of creation (Muhammad SAW) may the choicest blessings, salutations and peace be upon him.
from the speech of the esteemed Sheikh Abdul Hafeez al-Makki (Jaami` al-Shariah wa al-Tariqah – Shaykh al-Tariqah al-Chistiyyah )
Dar al-Mahamid’s Annual Summer Festival 2011
Nov 25th
The festive season is quickly approaching and whilst for many, this symbolises a holy and spiritual time of the year, we are also aware that it is a time in which many fall prey to the various ubiquitous vices within modern society.
In an attempt to safeguard and contribute to the progression of our community, Dār al-Maḥāmid will, for the 2nd year running, host our annual Summer Festival. Here we facilitate free entertainment for all ages within an ethical environment, in a sincere attempt to provide our youth with an enjoyable alternative and prevent them from falling prey to all forms of evil.
Please note: All profits are used for future community based events and educational courses.
With the grace of our Creator, we have had an amazing turn out last year and have observed how this alternative successfully allowed for inviting a new perspective on ”fun” amongst our youth. The feedback received was a reflection of the willingness of the youth to be a part of the movement towards a righteous and meaningful society.
The event consists of Soccer tournaments, obstacle courses, Table-Tennis, Pool, Playstation 3, Wii, X-Box, Horse riding, jumping castles, face painting, fashion designers competition, Adhaan competition, stalls, food sales, competitions, uplifting and motivational talks and presentations as well as our featured attraction, The Amazing Race. Some of the prizes last year consisted of portable 320 gigabyte hard drives, 8 gigabyte flash drives, Go- Karting tickets and Soccer hampers.
(Please note: this year’s prizes are still to be confirmed)
This year we also plan on inviting some of the orphans of our city as our guests, feed them and afford them the opportunity to be in a safe, fun and loving environment which they deserve.
We will do our best for the youth as they are our future and thus appeal to you in this humble request for sponsorship of the following items:
- Monetary donations esp. for:
- A live outside radio broadcast with the Voice of The Cape
- Marquees
- Games (Pool Tables, Foosball, Table-Tennis)
- Prizes for the competitions (toys, computer equipment, sports hampers,)
- Security
- Food (rolls, sauce, halaal sausage, halaal chicken, halaal polony, pies, samoosas,
koeksisters, potatoes, onions and cooldrinks )
- Electricity and Gas
We, in turn, will be honoured to display your banners, products or logos as part of the
2011 Summer Festival’s sponsors and you will be advertised as such on radio Voice of
The Cape (100.4fm).
We pray that the Almighty selects you to be instrumental in the realisation of this event
and that He makes it a means for you, your families and your business to prosper in this
world and the hereafter.
Shukran Katheeran / Thank You so much!
Among The Guiding Stars…
Sep 22nd
The Position of the
SAHABAH IN ISLAM
The position of the Sahabah in Islam is a topic that comes up frequently in Sunni-Shi‘i comparative discussions. When the fact is brought up that the Shi‘ah declare the vast majority of the Sahabah to have turned murtadd after the death of the Nabi r, or of having been Hypocrites during his lifetime, it is not uncommon to hear the Shi‘i side respond by saying things like “it is not an article of faith for Muslims to believe that the Sahabah were righteous and virtuous, or even that they were Believers.” Persons who respond in this way seek to convey the understanding that the Eemaan of the Sahabah is merely a secondary matter, and that a difference of opinion on this issue need not be as serious as Sunnis generally believe it to be.
SERIOUS DIFFERENCES
In pointing out the error of this line of reasoning it first needs to be understood that it is NOT only differences in the five fundamental articles of faith that are of a serious nature. Any kind of divergence from a belief clearly spelt out in the Qur’an and the authentic Sunnah is serious.
To use an example: belief in the immaculateness of the Qur’an is not one of the five well-known tenets of faith mentioned in the famous Hadith of Jibreel (belief in Allah, the Mala’ikah, the Revealed Scriptures, the Messengers and the Last Day). However, rejection of this belief, and the adoption of the belief that the Qur’an as we have it today has been tampered with and interpolated is most definitely a serious matter, since the immaculateness of the Qur’an is a matter attested to by the Qur’an itself.
There are even issues which are not directly and unambiguously stated in the Qur’an, but where it will be agreed that divergence from them amounts to a difference of serious proportions. A prominent example of this type of belief would be the sinlessness (‘ismah) of the Ambiya. Even the Shi‘ah will agree that it would be very serious to reject this belief.
QUR’ANIC FOUNDATIONS
So when we come to the issue of the Sahabah we first need to ask ourselves whether acceptance of their righteousness and virtue has any foundation in the Qur’an. Here one is overwhelmed by the wealth of Qur’anic material which clearly attests to the virtue of the Sahabah. In Surah Al ‘Imran Allah says:
You are the best of nations taken out for mankind. You enjoin Good and forbid Evil, and you believe in Allah. (Al ‘Imran:110)
Though this ayah admittedly covers the entire ummah, there is no way one can deny that the persons directly addressed by it at the time of its revelation were the Sahabah in general. An ayah with so general a tone cannot reasonably be restricted to a little handful only.
In Surah at-Tawbah Allah says:
And the Pioneers—the Muhajirin and the Ansar—and those who follow them in good: Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him. And He has prepared for them Gardens underneath which rivers flow, forever to dwell therein. (at-Tawbah:100)
In Surah al-Anfal Allah says:
And those who believed, and emigrated, and strived in the path of Allah; and those who gave shelter and assistance—they are the True Believers. For them there will be forgiveness and a generous provision. (al-Anfal:74)
These are but three examples from amongst an entire host of verses from the Qur’an which speak of the virtue and righteousness of the Sahabah. To quote each and every ayah and comment upon its meaning and significance might well fill several volumes. Our intention here, however, is merely to show that our belief in the virtue and righteousness of the Sahabah has it roots firmly in the Qur’an itself, and that it is not, as some would have us believe, inspired by political manipulation of the Khulafa or by our own idiosyncracies.
OBLIGATION
The second question that may be asked here is whether we as Muslims have any obligation to believe in the righteousness of the Sahabah. In light of the aforementioned verses from the Qur’an this questions appears very much unnecessary. But since there is the contention by some people that this is a “secondary issue” which we cannot allow to “cloud the real issue at hand”, it still needs to be dealt with separately.
There is in Surah an-Nisa an ayah in which Allah Ta‘ala says:
Whoever contends with the Messenger after guidance became clear to him, and follows a way other than that of the Believers, We will leave him to that which he has chosen, and burn him in Jahannam—what an evil refuge! (an-Nisa:115)
This ayah shows that besides accepting the teachings of the Nabi r Muslims also have to follow the “Path of the Believers”. Who are those “Believers”? The Shi‘ah, predictably, were quick to interpret it to refer to their Twelve Imams, but a more holistic reading of the Qur’an compels us to discount any such interpretation.
Let us go right to the beginning of the Qur’an. In the opening verses of Surah al-Baqarah Allah distinguishes three distinct entities within the Muslim community: the Believers, the Unbelievers and the Hypocrites. About the Hypocrites He says:
And when it is said to them: Believe as the people believe, they say: Must we believe as the fools believe. Indeed, it is they themselves who are the fools, but they know not. (al-Baqarah:13)
This ayah shows that by the time the Munafiqin outwardly entered Islam there was already in existence such a community whose beliefs were the standard by which the beliefs of others had to conform. Once again, the general tone of this ayah leaves no doubt that the “people” spoken of had to be an entire community, and not just Sayyiduna ‘Ali t and three or four other Sahabah. The meaning extracted appears even more clearly in the ayah from Surah al-Anfal quoted above, where Allah speaks of the Muhajirin and the Ansar as the “TRUE BELIEVERS”, while in the ayah from Surah at-Tawbah quoted above any fair-minded person will find glaring proof of the identity of the “Believers” whose faith would be the standard for all later Muslims. In that ayah, after mentioning by name the Muhajirin and the Ansar, Allah says “and those who FOLLOW THEM in good”.
This holistic reading of the Qur’an leaves very little ambiguity about the fact that Muslims have a duty to FOLLOW the Sahabah. Is it hereafter still conceivable that people who are ordered by the Qur’an to follow the Sahabah can refuse to believe in the virtue and righteousness of the Sahabah?
THE SAHABAH AND WE
There would of course be those who would argue that “such-and-such a Sahabi did this, while that one did that”. To them our answer is that we are instructed by the Qur’an not to seek out and highlight their faults (they were, after all, human) but to seek forgiveness for them. Here we can do no better than to quote the following three verses from Surah al-Hashr:
[It, (i.e. the booty) is] for the poor ones, the Muhajirin, who were driven out of their homes and their possessions, seeking bounty from Allah, and [His] pleasure, and who help Allah and His Messenger. Such are the Truthful Ones.
And those who, before them, had settled into homes, and entered Eemaan, who love those who emigrate towards them, and find in their breasts no need of that given to them, who give preference [to others] over themselves though they themselves may be in need. And whoever is freed of his own covetousness, then such are the Successful Ones.
And those who come after them say: Our Lord, forgive us, and [forgive] those of our brothers who believed before us. And put not in our hearts rancour against THOSE WHO BELIEVE. Our Lord, truly, You are Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
In the last ayah the words THOSE WHO BELIEVE are printed in capitals. That is done for the benefit of those who would still prefer to engage in meaningless sophistry about the identity of those persons. We would like to refer to such persons to the 74th ayah of Surah al-Anfal, where Allah says of the Muhajirin and the Ansar:
And those who believed, and emigrated, and strived in the path of Allah; and those who gave shelter and assistance—they are the True Believers. For them there will be FORGIVENESS and a generous provision. (al-Anfal:74)
It might also be of benefit to those who are bent upon highlighting the faults of the Sahabah to take cognisance of the fact that in this same ayah, after declaring them to be the True Believers, Allah promises them FORGIVENESS. With Allah Himself having given them a promise of forgiveness, what sense remains therein to continue to pick out their faults? After hearing this promise, it could only be a person who is displeased with Allah’s divine decision who will still bring charges against them.
* * *
Therefore, when Sunnis bring up the topic of Shi‘i attitudes towards the Sahabah, and take offence on account of it, that must not be seen merely as emotionalism. It should also be understood to be a reaction to divergence from a teaching of the Qur’an.
Mufti Taha Karaan
Marry Me, Islamically – Taaiebah Ebrahim
Sep 13th
Marry Me, Islamically
Taaiebah Ebrahim
“Most of us have a primal craving to be truly known by someone before we die, to build a deeply committed relationship based on honesty, trust, self-disclosure, respect, appreciation, interdependence, and togetherness..” Aptly put! We yearn to be understood and loved for who we really are, that our better halves would see US as their better half – quirks & flaws included – especially when we’re in our weakened, less than what is deemed a defaulted average self. ESPECIALLY then.
Sh Navaid Aziz’s ‘Marry Me, Islamically’ talk makes mention of useful guides to the spouse hungry halves seeking direction to navigate their way towards their compatible other.
Some tips were combobulated by yours truly from the likes of Shaykhs: Navaid Aziz, Muaadth Allie, Allie Goder, in hopes that it aids in your search for theee one. Or for the males…theee one…of potentially four.
Guidelines:
- Focus on Deen and Character first. Walk into marriage with a sense of direction, using Islam as your foundation.
- Look for someone that will be supportive of your Halaal goals.
- Choose compatibility over looks / age / other material gunk. Don’t make the irrational trade of your life over a pretty face, a fancy car, or the other superficial fluff that can easily go up in smoke.
- Aim for someone a tad more spiritual than you.
- Don’t settle on low standards – instead, set them realistically high. Draw up a list of your must-haves and bonuses. Allah finds that companion for you, so don’t look too hard. Pray hard.
- Don’t look for a hero/ine to ‘save’ you. A spouse should add to an already good life. Fix yourself, get your priorities in order, leave your baggage at the airport on purpose. They’ll think it’s a bomb and dispose of it.
- Know that relationships with the opposite sex, apart from being Haraam, also rock the marriage boat – be it just-a-colleague, cousin, so-and-so’s-wifey-or-hubby. Understand who you’re allowed to interact with in terms of the opposite gender.
- Emulate what you want. To attain greatness, you must be deserving of it.
- Figure out your love language. Take it away Oprah & Dr Phil! Google is your friend.
- Watch, read, listen…do your homework on your obligations as a husband / wife.
- Educate yourself on ‘the wedding night’.
- Marriage makes the family circle bigger, so it would be a logical step to meet with and (for the least part) like your potential extended family.
How to get hooked up?
- Ask someone that knows someone! Good leads would be a Shaykh, Mualima, teacher, trusted family members, friends, the animal kingdom, etc. Make it known that you’re in the market and readily accepting applications.
- Flush your fear of rejection down the loo and keep your eyes peeled like bananas! Allah may only allow him or her to cross your path once, so think of it as now or never, all or nothing, win or lose, chicken or beef, fight over flight!
Please note that a 3rd party needs to be present in meeting your potential spouse.
Objectives of Marriage:
Primary
1. Companionship (No brainer)
Secondary
2. Procreation (Continuing the legacy of the Prophet SAW)
Tertiary
3. Physical pleasure – by fulfilling your desires in a halaal way, you get rewarded in this world and the next. A win-win situation 
4. To unite people – two families should join forces to build a cornerstone in society.
Compatibility Test:
Topics of discussion on the first meeting:
1. Religion – Use your spidey senses and assess your potential spouse’s spiritual levels.
2. Discuss thoughts on balancing religion, family, friends, couple, work and alone-time.
3. Finance – Understand that a lady’s money is her own – and discuss your individual maintenance costs to gain a clearer perspective of needs & desires.
4. Children. Yes, no, maybe? How soon and how would they be raised (nanny’s, home/public schooling, etc.)?
5. Discuss how you wish to increase your Islamic education together.
6. Plans for future – discuss your long and short term goals for the next 5-10 years.
7. Be open about your good and bad habits. Video game addict, chain smoker, gymming fanatic, etc.
8. Health. Now would be the ideal time to mention if you have cooties. Discuss any diseases, defects and conditions you have.
9. Relationship expectations with in-laws and extended family?
10. Living arrangements? VIVA SA or move overseas? Robben Island is not overseas, no.
11. Polygamy needs to be discussed.
12. Ultimate vision for your family – what’s the plan to get to Jannah together? What are your plans to make this world a better place?
Remember:
- Don’t compromise too much when filtering the world for your spouse before marriage. Compromise after marriage.
- Think of your potential spouse as a cake The cake itself is the substance and what is vital. The icing is the ‘tang’. It’s nice to have a cake with icing, but the focus is on the cake. If you don’t have a sweet tooth, then think of it as a braaied piece of steak. The ‘tang’ is the marinade for crying out loud. You follow the analogy.
- Gentlemen, please have purpose and direction in your life. Today’s men are still in the boy zone from being overly pampered by their moms. Don’t expect your wife to be a maid nor your mother. And realise that girl power is for the spice girls. Women are meant to be provided for by their men, and not vice versa.
- Ladies, men generally want a wife that is good looking – not necessarily looking like a model, but one that takes care of herself physically. And a good cook – if all else fails, there’s always Nandos.
- Both men and women need to be responsible in executing their obligations in the marriage. Focus on your own role, as opposed to what your spouse owes you. Go the extra mile and research what’s deemed ‘optional, and awesome’, and what’s dubbed ‘optional, but not-so-awesome’.
“A man will learn to love a woman he is attracted to and a woman will learn to find attractive whom she loves” Shaykh Navaid Aziz probably quoting someone else. Let’s just say Confucious said this one. He’s the default guy right.
Good YouTube watches:
The Healthy Marriage – by Nouman Ali Khan
Boys & Girls – A Love Story – Q&A – by Abu Eesa Niamatullah
Baba Ali (owner of Halfourdeen.com) offers entertaining clips in understanding the opposite sex for the looking-to-be, and already married folks.
Some ‘Halaal’ websites for serious Muslims looking for a spouse:
www.purematrimony.com
www.halfourdeen.com
www.practimate.com
Consider this verse: “They are a garment for you and you are a garment to them” Qur’an [2 : 187] in conjunction with “The best garment is the garment of God-consciousness” Qur’an [7 : 26]
Post your mind-blasting ideas, tips and comments ~ Stay greedy for Jannah
Ramadaan – Taaiebah Ebrahim
Jul 28th
RAMADAAN PREPARATIONS:
Doing good deeds in Ramadaan is like wearing Hijaab in Makkah. It’s EASY!
The hard part is when you come back from Makkah to wear Hijaab & you’re surrounded by half naked people looking at you like you’re short. The goal should be to maintain consistency with your good deeds and ways in AND outside of Ramadaan. Because it’s nice to be on the giving end and receiving end of good treatment. And it will be even nicer to see a humungous pile of invaluable blessings awaiting the surprise in your eyes on your scale of good on Judgement day, Insha-Allah.
Use this Ramadaan and plan it as if it were your last because you don’t know what next year holds, let alone tomorrow.
Ramadaan Plan from Japan (Not EVERYTHING’S made in China)
- Obligatory: Do the Fardh actions first, your necessary Zakah, Fitrah, Fidya and stuff and stuff. Draw up your WILL. Too many of our family and friends that performed Ramadaan last year, are lying in their graves this year. The unislamic way of sorting one’s possessions after departing this life is rife and you will be responsible for it if left to the uninformed or misinformed regarding your will. There’s tons of free stuff online – just proof it with a learned Imam. Google is your friend.
- Intention: Brainstorm your ideas, prioritize your life’s time-table around Allah, not vice versa.
- Attitude & Mindset: Reflect on the past year – good habits to increase and strengthen, bad habits to slowly eradicate step by step (eg. Smoking, Swearing, etc. Have a thought out, well constructed, logical, realistic plan.)
- Be consistent and re-evaluate yourself monthly. 12 Times a year for your betterment isn’t a tall order if you value the destination of your soul, together with the opinion of your Creator over you.
Get Cracking on the extra side portions:
- Sadaqah - GET CREATIVE (offer to clean someones home, clean your neighbourhood, a park, etc). Offer food & drink, money, clothing, gifts, time to family, neighbours, friends, organizations.
Charity starts at home, so start there, but don’t stop there…keep going. Sadaqah doesn’t have to be lavish gifts, it can be a smile, a hug to ur family member – obviously only mahrams. Remember to give of what u love, so if you love chocolates, money, whatever, give of that too…and give of what u know others would enjoy as well. Donate your time to old age homes/the needy, feed orphans, soup/food @ shacks, and smile for extra points! - Practise the Sunnah – Eat picnic style, better yet picnic style el-fresco! The Prophet saw ate with his guests from one ‘platter’ sitting on the floor without leaning against anything. He was also a romantic…nothing like the moon or candlelight to set the tone with your hungry spouse. Don’t over eat! You know the ‘one-third’ max rule. It helps make Taraweeg easier to perform.
- Skip the music, movies and love story books telling us how to live to attain Jahannam. Instead, listen to Qari’s with beautiful voices (the web offers a huge selection of audio quraan downloadables), Islamic lectures or the biography of the Prophets or something beneficial to your mind. You can’t eat physical food…but Allah doesn’t prohibit soulfood ha! Personal favourite lecturers: Shaykhs: Mohammed Al-Shareef is my hero, Navaid Aziz (totally makes you cry when he cries), Yusuf Estes, Feiz Mohammed, Hamza Yusuf, Khalid Yasin, and fantastic more. We are fortunate enough to be surrounded by awesome teachers in Cape Town – that, lucky for us – yearn to teach us! How greedy for Jannah are they! Grab the opportunity and go to the lectures, buy their DVD’s. Local one’s to name a few: Moulanas: Irshaad Sedick, Hakim Quick, Zakariyah Philander, Ebrahim Gabriels, Muaadth Allie, Allie Goder, Dawood Sampson to name a few. Visit the Discover Islam Centre for DVD choices (www.discoverislam.co.za), Sawants or the internet. You pirates.
- Increase Sallaah. And if not increase it, perfect your current Sallaah. Be conscious of Allah and the conversation you’re having with Him – the One who made the very mouth you use to speak to Him, Subhanallah.
- Perform Taraweeg with awareness. If you have outstanding prayers from your past that you need to pay in [Not as in WOW flabbergasted amazing outstanding. Outstanding as in missed.], then use the Taraweeg prayer to pay them back in.)
- If you’re on Facebook, use it to communicate with people of the same gender, for dawah – whether it be posting authentic Hadiths, quote’s from the Quraan, or making it a bit more interactive by having a random quiz on Islamic knowledge.
Remove any and all images revealing your awrah, and leave the element of using seduction in speech, images, etc. with the opposite sex. Flirting can be subtle, friendliness with the opposite gender can easily be taken the wrong way, so keep the hugs and kisses for the same gender instead – it will earn you GREAT rewards Insha-Allah, and you could even motivate friends in the process, and in turn make ridiculously infinite returns on your influential magic. - Encourage a friend or 3 to do good deeds. It’s always motivating and easier to have support in remembering Allah. And doing good deeds together makes the world a better place faster.
- Give Dawah with your beautiful character.
- Have halaal fun in Ramadaan. Have a Smiling Contest (to the same gender) with a friend. Compete with good. The winner gets the title of Most Awesomely Awesome Winner in the World and has to be referred by it all day the next day. Be creative! Think of crazy (HALAAL) ideas, and post it below…I’m sure it will be an interesting read & can help others have a more rewarding Ramadaan IA.
- Write down everything that you need help in, your wishes, your dreams, your desires, hopes and aspirations. And when the last 10 nights of Ramadaan hits, repeat those duahs of your needs on the odd numbers of the last 10 nights. Your BOUND to mention your duahs on Laylatul Qadr and they WILL and will be answered bi-inthnilaah!
Make Dua in Ramadan – Allah will answer it!
1. Either u will get the duah answered
2. Or Allah will give you something better than it
3. Or Allah SWT protects you from some harm that was about to take place
4. Or you could see this as a reward on the day of Judgement only to say ‘I did not do good deeds to earn this reward’ and it will be told that it is the result of patience in not having your duah answered in Dunya – so much so that you will wish that none of your duahs were answered in the Dunya.
Apart from making duah for yourself and the extensions to yourself – do remember to make duah for our brothers & sisters in Palestine. (And me and meeeee!)
Post your personal ideas, ingenious suggestions and comments on how we can make this Ramadaan memorable, both in Dunya & Aakhirah IA.
May our wrongdoings be wiped away, the veils on our hearts lifted, the pride of being a Muslim prevalent whilst assisting one another fulfill our responsibility of spreading Islam IA.
“I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.” Mother Theresa
Lets work together and make being ‘greedy for Jannah’ look as attractive as FOOD this Ramadaan.
Ramadaan and Itikaaf with Masjid al-Munowar and Dar al-Mahamid
Jul 25th
With special guest, international author on Islam, Abdul Wahid Hamid!
There are only fifty Registration forms, and all participants must register. Email me at daralmahamid@gmail.com with the word Itikaaf in the Subject and I will send you the registration form Inshaa Allah. Do not wait till the last minute and avoid disappointment. View the page on Ramadaan and Itikaaf 2011 under the short courses section of this website for some inspiring footage.
Click here for more!
I Hated Shakespeare – by Taaiebah Ebrahim
Jul 13th
I Hated Shakespeare by Taaiebah Ebrahim
I hated Shakespeare and my school for not ‘privileging’ us to do starry-eyed Romeo & Juliet; instead unromantically forcing us to do Othello, the pillow murderer. *bored yawn*
I believe Shakespeare knew that languages evolve. My theory is that his evil scheme was to torture us school kids to analyse his horrendous stories, even though he KNEW we’d be baffled as if we were repeatedly struck with a stupid stick. What a sick puppy. I think I like him now!
Stop lying you artsy folks who ‘appreciate’ old playwrights! I didn’t want to make sense of the gibberish and honestly believed Shakespeare was either high, drunk or high and drunk before writing his plays.
Then there was Caesar, the book which co-incidentally was as vibrantly exciting as a caesar’s salad. So I saw the movie. The acting was close to being as bad as the acting in Generations, anyhows those horrendous, torturous, painful moments of English literature was soon over after high school.
Methinks schools need to refine their curriculum. My wasted reading time could have easily been used on something useful – like a ‘How to do life for dummies’. The Quraan is totally that kind of self help book innit hey. All that Shakespeare mumbo jumbo was fruitless and NOTHING much came of it. Skip us never using trigonometry ever again, where on earth will we need ol’ Bills backwards speech.
Anyhow, the Prophet (SAW) received revelation at age 40. And if you’re a petrol attendant, then yes, that’s FOUR OH. He didn’t fret about the 39 years of no prophethood or be like, sheesh, how I wish I got the revelation when I was younger for whichever reason. So we, as in MEEE (heehee), has to accept Allah’s decree and not regret further by wasting more time in considering options on how I could time-travel.
Allah in his infinite wisdom permitted the whole Shakespeare thing to transpire. EYE think it’s so that I could see what crappy writing is, so that I can appreciate the good stuff when I read it. Almost like when He filters out the crappy people in one’s life and replaces them with diamonds, so that we can appreciate enjoy and hold them dear much more, because only then can we see their worth in comparison to the rotten toads. Heehee. How awesome and wise is Allah in making us distinguish and appreciate what we have, Subhanallah
And the beauty of the Quraan is that there’s benefit in it in this world and the next. Your heart becomes softer & warmer, you’re happier, you cry good tears when you hear the Quraan’s recitation (sometimes & depending), Allah speaks to you personally and comforts you in it with your ‘unique’ challenges in life. You’re protected, enlightened, relieved, consoled, whole…feel closer to Allah and more stuff… The excitement alone of understanding a verse when hearing the recitation makes you want to run to a random stranger, shake them by the shoulders and tell them you know what it means – even if it means you’ll get weird stares. Now who gets even an inkling of this from stiff upper lip Shakespeare?
Did you know fact: Your ranks are raised the more you memorize and implement the Quraan. COOL BEANS.
The Quraan is theee (true) ultimate grabbing ‘book’, its theee greatest book of direction, history and wisdom, it’s theee greatest words your tongue can ever move to. It’s the greatest comforter and friend, (not the physical book of course – the words in it). Without it, the feelings you have is a fraction of the short lived high’s of this world. You can’t feel, see nor love for real until the Quraan grabs your heart and yanks it repeatedly. In a nice way of course
Imagine this.
You buy a gadget, you throw the instructions out, and you figure the device out on your own, right? Then when you’re near ready to return the ‘faulty-because-you-almost-broke-it’ device, you turn towards the instruction booklet as a last resort, because you’ve figured out that you don’t really know how to figure it out all on ur own. Then you follow as per the plan of the creator of the device.
If you had your dose of caffeine today, you know where I’m going with this.
WE, my friends, are the device. And the instruction manual is the Quraan. Let’s be thankful that we aren’t ‘broken irrepairable devices’ just yet. And that we have NOW to… *corny salesperson voice* …Make that change!
No matter if ur 100, 80, 13, 2…you should be on the road to understanding our Guidebook. Here’s where I can be a helpful little elf.
FREE GIFT OPRAH LEFT UNDER YOUR SEAT *crowd totally freaks out*
Get to understand the ‘manual’ of life itself. It’s ‘written’ by The most BRILLIANT author ever, promise.
Hit the link, before you blink, so that you can think…and ur favourite colour will be PINK, stink, drink, wink, mink, fink, I’m such a poet. (I didn’t say I was a good one.)
http://corpus.quran.com/wordbyword.jsp?chapter=1&verse=1
Allah uses various methods to throw us all a bone so we can leap closer towards Jannah. Let’s catch the bone is what I’m saying peoples! – because what excuse could work when facing Allah?
Err my bandwidth dried up? Eskom had ANOTHER power cut…? I didn’t feel like it? All of the above will make you the weakest link. So just hit the link.
Warning: Don’t take for granted that the Quraan is easily available.
If you really believe that your reward lies in the effort you put in, and not the material scores, it will make the journey so much sweeter. And if you don’t have a sweet tooth, it will make the journey so much more…savoury.
Dar al-Mahamid together with a number of other institutions offer these dynamic Quranic Studies, some in part-time, others full-time to accommodate for ALL ages, genders, colours, sizes, nationalities, areas, employed and unemployed – so there’s no good reason to back away. It’s one of those, you have to be there experiences, so be there or be square.
Every move counts in your favour, no matter how small, so long as the move is making you go forward.
May we all strive to be fluent reciters implementers and memorizers of this amazing revelation Insha-Allah.
And – I speak to myself first, before chooning anyone else.
P.S. Thank you to those who posted comments on the previous blarticle (blog+article=a made up word) – if anybody took up the Mission Possible challenge, please post what your day was like? I thought you all would be racing in line for the Lamborghini? I refuse to post how my day went until SOMEONE posts theirs. It’s a show me yours and I’ll show you mine deal here.
P.P.S. Don’t be LAZY – post your comments for this Blarticle!
Stay greedy for Jannah
Sheikh Moulana Abdul Hafeez Makki – schedule in the Cape
Jun 26th
With the name of Allah the all Merciful.
All praise is for Allah who continues to bestow His infinite mercy and favours upon us. We have once again been blessed as Allah SWT has favoured us by sending to our shores an erudite scholar of Islam and mentor of thousands across the world. We are honoured to be hosting Sheikh Moulana Abdul Hafeez Makki from Makkah al-Mukarramah, Sheikh of authentic Tasawwuf/Tazkiyyah (Islamic Spirituality) and one of the senior Khalifah’s (disciples) of Hadhrat Moulana Zakariyyah Khandelwi R.A (author of Fadhaail al-A`maal and many other works) . Sheikh Abdul Hafeez has visited Cape Town many times before and has spear-headed the Khatm an-Nubuwwah (the finality of the Prophet PBUH) program for the MJC (Muslim Judicial Council) and around the globe. He is known for his outstanding adherence to Quran, Sunnah and authentic Islamic Spirituality (Shariah and Tareeqah), and has presented programs to the MJC and many Masaajids in and around Cape Town. Sheikh Abdul Hafeez has authored many books on crucial issues in contemporary and classical Islam in the Arabic language.
We have been afforded the chance to benefit from his knowledge, company and awe-inspiring spirituality and we should try not to miss out on this opportunity. Many spurious teachings and practices have been circulating amidst our people, falsely attributed to the teachings of Tasawwuf/Tazkiyyah, but now we have the opportunity to gain a proper understanding of this important branch of Islam and discover the truth about Tasawwuf/Tazkiyyah directly from one its leading Sheikhs and adherents of our time.
Mission Impossible? I think NOT! – Lipservice VS Sincerity
Jun 20th
Mission Impossible? I think NOT!
Lipservice VS Sincerity
by Taaiebah Ebrahim
-Ever had someone ask how you are and before you even tried responding, they were already walking off? (HINT: They didn’t care to really know.)
-Ever had someone beautifully greet you with Assalaamu alaykum, and once you turn your back they’re badmouthing you or hurting you to your face? Do you even know the meaning of this greeting?? Peace be upon you. Then why are they not meaning you peace, and instead intending harm??
Spotlight on you now.
-Ever say something you didn’t mean just to get someone off your back? And you didn’t even feel guilty about lying?
-Ever go through your Salaah by just regurgitating the words without meaning it? I know I did. I didn’t know what it meant in English, so I couldn’t mean it from my heart without understanding it. So I learnt the English…and still I would say it like an unconcious zombie.
Sincerity is on the decrease people. And as a pretend statistitian, the made-up figures are on a ratio of 2:1. I know, ‘despicable’ came to mind first for me too.
Point is, we say many things because it’s what we THINK we should say or do because that’s what the ‘people’ want from us.
…What about what Allah wants from us?? And why do we care to please ‘the people’?? (Insert flashing alarm bells)
We keep the ‘harmony’ to avoid boats a rockin’, to maintain the phony peace whilst in reality, we begrudging feel contempt and an immense annoyance bubbling beneath our skin. All this negative emotion for the person(s) we should love as our fellow muslim brother / sister?
There’s no fine line between tolerance and insincerity. The line is thick folks. As thick as an Italians chest hair. Thank you Veet.
Christians show more togetherness and Christmas spirit even though their beliefs are SORELY misguided. And here us Muslims are on TRUTH, yet our bro and sisterly love is depressingly absent.
Where the Muslim spirit at???
No love, no care, no genuine concern? Saddy waddy times prevail people, saddy waddy times indeed.
On the bright side, the situation CAN be altered. And it starts with me and…You. (Insert Uncle Sam pointing his finger at you)
The solution is simple. Mean what you say, from the heart.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it is, for 1 WHOLE DAY, make the intention that:
-You will not deceive anyone, ESPECIALLY not yourself (You know your typical day best; think of the areas you’re lacking in, and make your intention firm for that day to ‘respond, and not react’.)
-You will be completely authentic, no facades, no masks, no el-faco attitudes, just you, the real deal, revealing your best Muslim self you’ve forgotten you had, making Salaah consciously, practising as much of the Sunnah that you know, saying everything you mean, being completely sincere and truthful.
Now don’t misinterpret this as an opportunity to tell your boss what a 4 letter word he is just because you firmly and sincerely believe he SHOULD KNOW THE TRUTH! Haha. NO. I’d like you to still have a job after the acid test.
This is a day where the nice, PATIENT, sincere, warm, respectful and good you prevails. No doubt there were many days you’ve allowed your toys to be thrown out of your cot. So now it’s time to have OPPOSITE DAY. Yaay.
And! Side note. If you normally call your colleague/besty a hilariously rude and descriptive nickname that is not really suitable to call your own mother, please ditch it. It’s just for the day.
If you think about it, a day isn’t that long. You sleep the other half away, part is spent in prayer (hopefully), part in the toilet, part bathing (again, hopefully). So it’s practically 14-18hrs max, depending on your nite owl activities.
And if someone ticks you off and you feel like vommitting on their lunch (FYI yuck), then instead of doing that…SHAKE IT OFF!..rather smile as you write yourself a reminder to do it the next day instead, because for today, you’re just toooo busy being your best self. If you slip up, just keep swimming as Dorey says.
TRY IT! Embrace it, really enjoy it and keep reminding yourself that you’re doing it for Allah’s pleasure alone.
Post your comment of how your day went…and you’ll automatically be eligible to win an imaginary Lamborghini.
You might just have theee best day of your life so far. And even better…you might make someone elses day more delightful whilst reflecting a beautiful character and boldly representing the fabulousness of Islam through yourself. Nobody knows which good deed earns them Jannah, and you can totally cash in on the rewards with your sincere intentions and actions throughout the day Insha-Allah Ameen. Cha-chingggggg!
And I speak to myself first before your lovely selves.
This message will self destruct if your computer explodes.
Stay greedy for Jannah
