From Darkness to Light

Deen Explorer

LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL February 9, 2010

Filed under: videos, why Allah? — maryam akram @ 2:50 pm
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SubhanAllah. All praises are for Allah subhnahu wa ta’ala alone.

please follow the ‘Wake up Project’  inshaAllah at this link:

http://www.wakeupproject.com/

 

WHAT’S YOUR CONSTITUTION? January 26, 2010

WHAT’S YOUR CONSTITUTION?

Just because my cousin is getting married in March inshAllah, I have to visit various dress designers with her and my khalas.This time, we also considered going to a fresh graduate from a school of fashion design, who was a really pretty, green eyed petite girl mashAllah.

So she showed us the beautiful clothes on display and we discussed them with her. My khala fell in love with one of the dresses there. It was a white chiffon gown which was richly embroidered with silver sequins and gems, and it came with a white silk shirt and a pair of trousers. My khala stared at the dress and then asked the designer reluctantly if the dress and the colour would suit her, because she wasn’t fair and was debating whether she should go for another shade; and here’s the good part, the reason that made me write this article; the designer’s reply was,

“Yea absolutely! Because ‘white’ complexion is so ‘out’!!”

 I repeated what she said in my head, because I couldn’t really digest that and I asked myself whether our skin colour could be obsolete and classed as ‘out’- how in the world can complexions be out?? I laughed out loud because according to the ‘fashion world’, I was ‘out’ and thus to fit in I had to bronze or tan etc myself- I mean cows!!- Who decides really what’s ‘in’ and what’s ‘out’??

 I stared at myself in the mirror there and I told myself, speaking quietly to myself in my head that if I started following those who live to impress others, those who are in dire need of fitting in, and those whose constitution is ‘Libas’, ‘Vogue’ ,‘Cosmopolitan’ , ‘Bollywood’ or ‘MTV’ for that matter, then I would definitely go insane.

 How many people do we know of who compete in this world for glory, fame, wealth and power? How many people do i know who want to be just like Katrina Kaif, Kareena Kapoor, Nancy Ajram or Angelina Jolie? People want to emulate what? people?? Those People whose intellect is also ‘out’.Life is not all about that. When we realise what our purpose in life is, we stop participating in this rat race for glory.

When we realise that we have to emulate our Holy Prophet sallallahu alyhe wasallam, we love for others what we love for ourselves, and we leave this sickness of competeing with others by showing off our designer dresses, bags, shoes, big houses, gadgets, schools, careers etc.

As far as the colour is concerned, im just so glad that Allah subhanahu wa ta’alaa is the Most Just, the Most Merciful, the Most Impartial.

Allah does not judge you by your faces but keeps eyes on your hearts’,(Bukhari and Muslim)

–We just have to work on our hearts and then subsequently, the rest will fall in its place. We have to educate our hearts, our minds and our souls. We have to remember that our constitution was written more than 1430 years ago and that it is the Quran and the Sunnah- and we have to adhere to that no matter what the world says…*lol im ‘out’-in your dreams ya dunya :) *

 Allah subhnahu wa ta’alaa knows best.

 

ANOTHER PAKISTANI HERO :) January 1, 2010

Sometimes in life you meet the best people- who become your heroes and they inspire you a lot. Alhamdulilah, the day when I met mine was in the summer holidays of 2009.

The situation in Pakistan at that time was devastating. There was an insurgency in Swat due to which the civilians there had to migrate to places near Islamabad because they were to live there temporarily in camps for an indefinite time period. Strange, the world is- residents of a city had to leave their homes, jobs, schools, lives and past and they were labeled as IDP’s (internally displaced people). There were many NGO’s and various other organizations that were helping the IDP’s. Anyone could help and for that matter you had to volunteer. And from here the story of a Pakistani hero begins.

 

I wanted to volunteer. The only issue was – my parents consent. My parents play this strategic game with us sometimes, when I asked\convinced my dad if I could volunteer for the camp in Sawabi, after a lot of reluctance he said yes but he added a sentence like a disclaimer in a contract by saying, ‘Ask your mom too’. So I asked my mom and the answer was a big NO! NO! My mum came up with all these hypothetical assumptions and thoughts that made my dad endorse her view and thus my idea to volunteer went down the drain. My one and only chance to help the Ummah and the Pakistani people was lost courtesy of my parents.

 

But then I thought that obedience to parents is crucial after obedience to Allah and that’s what prevented me from an insurgency at home. In short I gave in and sulkily decided to spend the rest of the summer holidays and believe me the thought of betraying my Pakistani brothers and sisters was a killer. Then one day in the summer holidays I reluctantly decided to visit a gynecologist with my mum. I was always averse to visiting gynecologists because according to me they infringed my privacy by asking too many unnecessary questions. But the situation here was extremely different.

 

I went to a well known Hospital with my mum one day because we had an appointment with a very competent, well qualified gynecologist mashAllah – Dr Noreen Zafar.  I entered her room and I was surprised to be greeted with a big smile. A Doctor in that Hospital-one of Lahore’s elite private hospitals, with a Dr who actually smiled at you was an oxymoron. But SunhanAllah Dr Noreen Zafar was different. Se was kind, considerate, friendly and wise. We talked for quite some time and we discussed many things- like how going to a gynecologist was considered a stigma and how women are treated in Pakistan. Dr Zafar reminded me that I was amongst the -15% (figures say that 54% of Pakistanis are literate but that’s quite doubtful) or so privileged educated Pakistanis on whom it was obliged to work for the betterment of the rest of the nation.

 

Dr Zafar further said that she was the founder and president of an organization which ensured the wellness of women, girls and children. She made me realize how much I can do for Pakistan with little resources or no resources at all. The most important resource at hand was our time which if allocated to help those who couldn’t even afford the basic necessities would be of considerable use. Her ideology was quite simple: it was to provide ‘Wellness with Dignity’. I really liked her vision because she wanted women and girls of all ages, backgrounds and lifestyles to benefit by educating them about their fundamental rights. In short she wanted to benefit women, girls and children from all walks of life.

 

 

Dr Zafar, M.D., F.R.C.O.G., is a woman of steel indeed. She is a Doctor, A mother and a social worker. When she’s not at home, she’s in the hospital with her patients, whenever she gets a minute off, she works on her organization. She is extremely busy and yet always available on email, phone and meetings. Dr Zafar is patriotic Pakistani and mashAllah she was the only Muslim, Pakistani, female to receive the prestigious Eisenberg Award 2009 in the States for her efforts and achievements.

 

The awards were given in five categories nationally and new international category has been introduced this year and Dr Noreen Zafar has earned the distinction of becoming the inaugural international category award winner.
Source: http://pakobserver.net/200911/19/news/Lahore02.asp -Salim Ahmed reporting for Pakistan Observer 

Dr. Zafar’s vision is to offer high quality gynecological care and empower women to become good decision makers regarding their own health and their family’s health. Dr. Zafar has worked independently to promote wellness among girls and women, without government or any other support. She has overcome many social taboos in her quest and has established health awareness programs related to pre-cancer screening, teenage gynecological health, and reproductive health. Dr. Zafar has initiated nearly a dozen campaigns under the umbrella of the Girls and Women Health Initiative such as “Say No to Osteoporosis,” “Beat Menopause,” “Prioritize Pink,” “Folic Acid Campaign,” “Women Matter,” and “The Pakistan Group for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology” to improve girls and women’s health. 

“The Eisenberg Award shines a spotlight on the frontline work that is occurring worldwide to improve health care quality by making a difference in patient safety,” says Mark R. Chassin, M.D., M.P.P., M.P.H., president, The Joint Commission. “These innovations and public commitments to safe, reliable care serve as an example for what can be achieved.”

Source: http://www.jointcommission.org/NewsRoom/NewsReleases/nr_9_21_09.htm

 

My job here is done, I can go on and talk more about Dr Zafar’s credibility, stature and caliber but suffice it to say that a hero is not born everyday. Work for the betterment of the women of Pakistan and help make Pakistan a better place. “Treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers.”
From the last sermon of Prophet Mohammed sallallahu alyhe was allam

For now, I’ll leave you with another quote highlighting the significance of this organization:

 

  • I have always maintained that no nation can ever be worthy of its existence that cannot take its women along with the men. No struggle can ever succeed without women participating side by side with men. There are two powers in the world; one is the sword and the other is the pen. There is a great competition and rivalry between the two. There is a third power stronger than both, that of the women.
    • Speech at Islamia College for women March 25, 1940.

 

It doesn’t really matter if you live in Pakistan, you can volunteer for Girls and Women Health Initiative(GWHI) by contributing your time, money or even ideas please Visit:

 www.gwhi.org or email us at: gwhi.staff@gmail.com

 

Thanks. Every step you take counts. Nothing’s insignificant. Even if one person benefits out of all that you do-thats all that matters, even if you think that nobody is benefiting out of what you are doing , think again- its you who benefits the most SubhanAllah. Honest :)

 

 

Fajr-for-Life (inshaAllah) December 31, 2009

Bismillah
Asalaam o Alykum
 
Dear sisters in Islam,
 
How many times have we missed the Fajr Salah and dreaded the whole day. Sometimes our alarm clocks, watches, mobiles etc wake us up but then we put them on snooze and sleep for another 5 minutes, ‘Just 5′,we tell ourselves and then those 5 minutes get converted to half an hour and when we wake up, we tell ourselves, ‘ dude, we still have time’ and we sleep again. And the next time we wake up, its 8ish or 9ish or 10ish, or even 12ish and then we decide to pray fajr with Zohar, and thus we repeat this cycle almost everday.
 
How hard it is for us to compromise over sleep?  Where we can spend nights on weddings, dancing our way, watching movies, partying or even studying, we always tend to undermine the significance of Salah. Salah is better than sleep-assalaatu khairum minnan nawm, is what we hear the imam saying everytime for fajr and besides that, in the call for prayer, we hear this alot: Come to Salah, Come to Success-hayyallas salah, hayyallal falah.
 
Therefore when all the solutions of our problems lies in praying Salah, isnt it wise to do so? Why are we so reluctant then? Have we given our life to our whims and desires? Do we want Satan to take over or do we want to submit our will to Allah swt, our Creator?? It is said that when a baby is born, he cries, he cries becasue satan hits him on the navel and from that moment till death, satan sticks to him, until he turns to disbelief. What he wants is to take man with him to Hellfire.

Rasool Allah sallallahu alyhe wa sallam said, He who regularly offers fajr salah “will not enter Hellfire,” (Muslim)
 
We want to save ourselves and our Muslim sisters in Islam from the traps of satan inshaAllah. Why? Reason being, Rasool Allah pbuh is reported to have said, “The best of people are those that bring most benefit to the rest of mankind.” [Dâraqutni, Hasan. Therefore, to benefit Ummah a group of Muslim sisters have started a program called ‘fajr-for-life’. Its quite simple you see. You just have to email here:

 fajr-for-life@googlegroups.com (also if you do not want to email on this group, you can comment here and ill get back to you inshaAllah)

And you will be contacted by a Muslim sister, who will take your cell no. She will call you for fajr inshaAllah until you wake up inshaAllah and you text her to tell her that you are up :) – see its that simple mashaAllah.
 
Its free, simple and easy. Rest assured dear sisters, this is a sisters only group and neither your email address nor you number will be distributed- we say this as Allah swt as our witness.
 
Sheikh Yasir Qadhi said, “If you dont wake up for Fajr, there is no use of waking up at all”. When we start our day early in the morning by praying fajr and reciting the Holy Quran, Allah swt puts alot of Barakah and blesssings in our time alhamdulilah. We want to see the Ummah succeed inshaAllah, becasue success lies in praying. SubhanAllah.
 
It is worth mentioning here that this service is free, however due to limited resources, for the timebeing, it is only extended to sisters living in Pakistan. We plan really soon inshaAllah to extend this service to brothers in Islam( moderated of course by brothers only) and to our Muslim brothers and sisters who live abroad, wherever they are inshaAllah. Speaking of which, if you are reading this and you dont live in Pakistan, please start your ‘fajr-for-life’ in your circle inshaAllah.
 

please check this video out whenever you have time inshaAllah :)
 
Dear sisters, life is fragile so lets strengthen it with prayer. Whan you wake up for fajr inshaAllah please wake up your siblings, parents and also friends by calling them. Lets continue this cycle fesabeelilah.takbeer.
 

 

“A person who has missed one salaat is like one who has lost all his family and wealth.”

Hadhrat Naufil bin Mu’aawiyah (Radhiyallaho anho) narrates that he heard the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) saying
 

A CONVERSATION:MOSES(AS) WITH IQBAL December 21, 2009

THE CONVERSATION BETWEEN MOSES PEACE BE WITH HIM, (A MESSENGER OF GOD) WITH ALLAMA MOHAMMED IQBAL,(POEAT OF THE EAST)

 

In ‘Bang-i-Dara’ the poem entitled ‘Kufr and Islam’ dramatizes a dialogue between Iqbal and the Prophet Moses upon him be peace. Iqbal saw Moses in a vision and addressed him thus:

 

“O Ye, because of whose footprints the valley of Sinai became a garden, how is it that the fire of Nimrod is still burning in the world, but the vision that you saw of God is not visible.”

 

The implication of the question was that the evil was dominant in the world, and the good has been suppressed.

 

Thereupon Moses said:

 

“The evil being something arising out of worldly life is visible but the good which has its orign with God is invisible. If you are a Muslim, do not be attracted by the seen in preference to the unseen. If you wish to see the Unseen, you must have the faith of Abraham. Without such faith, your body is mere clay. If you are really attracted by the Unseen, you should have no worry.You should have your camp in the valley of Faran (which means that you should hold fast to the Shariah of Islam), and await the Day of Judgment. What is seen is transitory; what is unseen is eternal. If you love the Unseen you should be conscious of this truth. If the fire of Nimrod is still burning, you should not feel worried. This is a transitory affair and will disappear just as the lamp is extinguished at the appearance of dawn. The fire of Nimrod cannot endure; the invisible light of God alone will endure.”

 

The point brought out is that though in this world the forces of evil appear to dominate, this should not be a cause of concern for such domination would be for a short period only. Ultimately the Truth will triumph, and the evil will disappear. The Muslims should hold fast to the Shariah and have faith in God. What is seen is an illusion which cannot endure; what is Unseen is the reality and that will endure.

 

SubhanAllah. This piece is Adapted. Allah swt is so Kind. I found it when I needed it Alhamdulilah.

 

 
 
 
 

 

BILAL- ASHIQ-E-RASOOL(saw) December 21, 2009

BILAL (ra)- ASHIQ-E-RASOOL (saw)

 

In ‘Bang-i-Dara’ there is a poem entitled ‘Bilal’, wherein Iqbal has paid tribute to Bilal.

The poem reads.

 

 

“As the star of your destiny shone,

It brought you from Abyssinia to Hejaz.

Here you had the fortune to be converted to Islam.

And although you were a slave,

You ranked higher than the free men.

You did not leave the threshold of the Holy Prophet pbuh even for a moment.

You were lost in the love of the Holy Prophet pbuh

The pain one feels in love is no pain.

If there were no anguish in love, love would be of no avail.

Like Salman you had an eye for the Truth,

With the ecstasy of love for the Holy Prophet pbuh

You remained intoxicated.

You were mad for the vision like Moses,

You saw what Awais longed to see but could not see.

Madina was the light of your eyes.

For you this desert was another ‘Tur’.

You saw, but your loning to see was not satisfied.

Your heart burnt with fire, but was still cold.

Such lightning of love electrified your body,

That your dark complexion glowed with the beauty of the hand of Moses.

You were all flame and fire of love.

You glowed with the electric current of love.

You saw with great longing and devotion.

The sight of Holy Prophet pbuh was your prayer.

From the day of creation, ‘Azan’ became for you a song of love.

The prayer became a manifestation of such love, the means to see the beloved.

How blessed was the age when the Holy Prophet pbh flourished at Yasrib,

How fortunate were they who could see the Holy Prophet in their midst.”

 

 (Adapted)-i highlighted the the lines that touched my heart the most. Iqbal rocks subhanAllah :) )

 

GOOD COMPANY IS YOUR BEST ASSET :) December 2, 2009

Bismillah,

asalaam o alykum.

Watch out for the type of friends you have. i always ask Allah swt for good company. Alhamdulilah, this video is brilliant. i can relate to it in some ways. It is imperative that all of us realize that there is a purpose in life.
SubhanAllah, whenever i have any doubts, i consult Allah swt, He opens the doors for me, just like brother Noman Ali in this video said.

SubhanAllah, all praises are for Him indeed. We just have to knock on His door. Just ask for Him, and then He does everything good for us SubhanAllah.

i know the video is a bit long. but trust me , evey minute  is worth it. You will enjoy watching it inshaAllah.

peace be with you,

your sister in Islam,

maryam

 

WHY ISLAM IS THE FASTEST GROWING RELIGION.. November 20, 2009

Filed under: islam — maryam akram @ 3:05 pm

 

THE STRUGGLE MUSLIMS FACE November 19, 2009

THE STRUGGLE MUSLIMS FACE    
 
young muslims.JPGINTRODUCTION:

Today Muslims witness their deen being attacked and vilified on a daily basis.

These attacks come from governments, the media and intellectuals and are becoming harsher and more direct. These are the days when writers who insult our beloved Prophet (Sallalahu Alaihi Wassalam) are honoured and politicians see attacking Islam as a sure way of increasing their popularity. Muslims face emotional, intellectual and even physical attack with the Western nations invading Muslim countries in the name of the war on terror.

THIS IS NOTHING NEW:
Our beloved Prophet (saw) and his companions faced a very similar situation soon after the Prophet (saw) first received revelation.The attacks on the Prophet (saw) and his companions started when the call for Islam became public and addressed the problems of the Makkan society and the corruption of its leadership.The early Muslims endured horrific abuse at the hands of the Quraysh.

PERSECUTION:
The companions faced terrible persecution at the hands of the Quraysh. The family of Yasir suffered especially, with Sumaya (May Allah be pleased with her) having the honour of being the first martyr of Islam. She was killed simply because she refused to renounce her belief in Islam.

Many companions were persecuted and tortured because they held firm to their belief, Bilal is another example.Whilst being tortured he defied his oppressor by repeatedly saying “ahad” even though this only led to his torture being intensified.

When Abu Dharr al Ghifari accepted Islam he went to the Ka’bah and pronounced his declaration of faith in front of all the enemies of Islam which almost brought him death from the beating he received. However this did not stop him as the very next day when he saw people worshiping idols he began to curse the idols which again resulted in him receiving yet another beating.

Khabbab ibn Al-Aratt was tortured with pieces of heated iron from his shop being placed all over his body when he announced his Islam publicly.This resulted in the flesh and skin of his back and waist being burnt off.

Khubaib ibn Adyy was the first man to be crucified in the name of Islam and while he was being crucified his body was being stabbed by spears and swords. His tormentors were saying “wouldn’t you rather the Prophet (saw) was here in your place while you were safe with your family” he said “I wouldn’t want to be with my family and have the joys of the whole world if it meant the Prophet (saw) had the pain of even a prick of a thorn.” Uthman ibn Affan was tied with rope, thrashed severely and made to endure many other physical hardships for proclaiming his conversion.Abdullah ibn Masud was beaten unconscious for reciting the Quran publicly.

RIDICULED:
Once the Prophet (saw) was reciting his prayers at the Ka’bah when Uqbah bin Abu Muait twisted his neck with a piece of cloth until he (saw) was nearly strangled. On being informed of this,Abu Bakr rushed to the spot and saved the Prophet (saw) and then said addressing the Quraish:”Would you kill a person simply because he claims that Allah is his lord?”

The Prophet (saw) was slandered in many ways, accused of being a madman, magician, possessed, or soothsayer.

Once the Prophet (saw) was performing prayers in the courtyard of the Ka’bah in the presence of the Quraish.Abu Jahl said to the people “A camel has been slaughtered at such and such place and its intestines are still lying there. One should fetch them and put it on Muhammad.” Upon hearing this, Uqbah bin Abu Muait got up and fetched the intestines and put it on the back of the Prophet (saw) when he was prostrating. The disbelievers were overtaken by laughter. Fatimah (May Allah be pleased with her) who was only a child at the time removed the intestines from the back of her father. Many psychologists say that children who see their parents being humiliated can have severe and long lasting psychological effects.

MUSLIMS WERE DISCREDITED BY AMR IBN AL AAS WHEN THEY MIGRATED TO ABYSINNIA
The Prophet (saw) was stoned at Taif by the slaves and children.

During the treaty of Hudaybia the representative of the Quraish insulted the sahaba by saying to the Prophet (saw) “You are a noble man of Quraish so why have you chosen to side with these scum (the sahaba) against the nobility of Quraish”.

BOYCOTT
The Quraish imposed a complete social and material boycott on Banu Hashim and Banu Abdul-Muttalib who were lending their unrelenting support to the Muslims. No one was to meet the Muslims, talk to them, establish marital relations with them or trade with them. The Muslims were even forced to eat the leaves of trees.This agreement was put into writing and hung on the Ka’bah for added impact.The boycott lasted for three years during which time the Muslims could only buy food and other essentials during the months of peace. In this atmosphere they would continue to preach Islam among people from outside Makkah.This inhumane treatment stirred some Quraish from within.

COALITIONS AND TREACHERY AGAINST ISLAM
Mischief makers of Banu Asad had assembled in Qatan under the leadership of Talhah bin Khuwailid and Salamah bin huwailid with the intent of launching an attack on the Muslims.

In Safar, 4 AH the Quraish sent seven persons from the Adal and Qarah clans to the Prophet (saw) saying that their people have decided to enter Islam so they requested that some men be sent to teach these new converts. In response the Prophet (saw) sent 6 teachers headed by Marthad bin abu Marthad Ghanawi or Asim bin Thabit bin abu Aflah.When this party reached Raji, a water spot, they discovered the treachery of Quraish who had called in 200 men to kill the teachers.

The Prophet (saw) went to conduct discussions with Banu Nadir regarding some blood money owed due to a Muslim killing 2 members of that tribe. While the Prophet (saw) was there they tried to kill him by throwing a big rock from the citadel of the fortification.The Prophet (saw) realised the plot via revelation and left immediately before the plot could be executed. He confronted the Jews regarding their plot and they didn’t deny it. During this period Banu Muharib and Banu Tha’labah of Ghatfan tribe were making large scale preparations to wage war against the Muslims.The Prophet (saw) along with 400 companions proceeded to meet them.The enemies who had collected at an oasis retreated when they heard the news of the Muslims coming and no fighting took place.

LATER THE JEWS OF BANU NADIR WERE EXILED TO KHAIBAR OR SYRIA
The Jews and the Quraysh in the battle of Ahzab – Prominent chieftains from Banu Nadir alongside those of Banu Wa’il went to Makkah to incite support and raise funds for the battle.They then went to the Ghaftan clans and Banu Kinanah to play the same role. Next they made contact with Banu Quraizah of Al-Madinah who were still bound to help the Muslims according to a pact signed by both parties. Finally Banu Sulaim, Fazarah,Ashja, Banu Sa’d and Banu Murrah and the chieftains of the Quraish, Banu Nadir and Ghaftan went to the Kabah and vowed to fight against the Muslims as long as they lived.The total number of allied forces came to at least ten thousand or twenty-four thousand according to some narrations. It consisted of four thousand five hundred camels and three hundred horses.

There are many incidences regarding Abdullah ibn Ubai. One famous one involves the incident when Aisha (May Allah be pleased with) was left behind during a journey.Abdullah ibn Ubai spread rumours regarding her.

People who stood up to rulers

IMAM MALIK
He stood up to the Khalifah Abu Ja`far al-Mansur regarding the hadith “The divorce of the coerced does not take effect”. Imam Malik was told not to narrate this hadith but he did anyway and was flogged for it. Even after being flogged and while being paraded he still defied the Khalifah by narrating the hadith.

SAID IBN JUBAIR
Said ibn Jubair fought along side Abdullah ibn az-Zubair and was part of a group called the “Battalion of Quran reciters”. He was eventually captured and brought to Al Hajjaj.

He is renowned for his conversation with Al Hajjaj and consequent death.All throughout the conversation he remained steadfast to the truth even though this infuriated al Hajjaj even more.What makes him even more special is that you can lie when your life is at risk.When he was finally killed his blood gushed out in a way that al Hajjaj had never seen before, the explanation for this was that Said ibn Jubair was so relaxed at the time of his murder that his blood was kept in its original form, but usually if one is scared or afraid their blood curdles and does not flow profusely.

Abdullah ibn az-Zubair (ibn Asma) He stood up to Yazid and had to fight the army of Al Hajjaj.

While under siege Abdullah ibn Zubair went to his mother,Asma. She asked him, “what brings you at such an hour when the war is on?” He said “I came to consult with you.””Consult with me on what?” asked Asma. He said,”Most of my supporters have betrayed me, either out of greed or out of fear. Only a few remain with me, and they will not be able to resist for long. Messengers have been sent from the Umayyads proposing that I stop the fight, and they would give me whatever I ask for.” She answered “its up to you.You know yourself best. If you believe that you are right and fighting for a right cause, be persevering in the fight as were your supporters who died for it. But if you are after worldly gains, then wretched are you and you have destroyed yourself and those with you”. He later died in battle.

IMAM ABU HANIFA
In 763, al-Mansur, the Abbasid Khalifah offered Abu Hanifa the post of Chief Judge of the State, but he declined to accept the offer, choosing to remain independent. His student,Abu Yusuf, was appointed Qadi Al-Qadat (Chief Judge of the State) instead of himself.

In his reply to al-Mansur,Abu Hanifa excused himself by saying that he did not regard himself fit for the post.Al¬Mansur, who had his own ideas and reasons for offering the post, lost his temper and accused Abu Hanifa of lying. “If I am lying”,Abu Hanifa said,”then my statement is doubly correct. How can you appoint a liar to the exalted post of a Chief Qadi (Judge)?” Incensed by this reply, the ruler had Abu Hanifa arrested and locked in prison and tortured.

IMAM BUKHARI
Even here, there were envious people who did not leave him alone.They met the governor of Bukhara, who was a representative of the Khalif, Khâlid ibn Ahmad.They told him to call Imâm Bukhârî to his house and busy him withteaching his son.When the governor put this suggestion to Imâm Bukhârî, he was told,”I do not want to abuse knowledge and carry it to the footstep of the rulers. If anybody wants to learn, they should come to my school”.The governor replied, by stating,”If my son was to attend your school, he should not sit with ordinary people.You would have to teach him separately”. Imâm Bukhârî answered,”I cannot stop any person from hearing Ahâdîth”. Upon hearing this, the governer of Bukhara became angry with him and manufactured a fatwa (verdict) against Imâm Bukhârî to banish him from the city.

OTHER EXAMPLES
Ibn al-Qayyim (d. 751/1350) and Ibn Taymiyya (d. 728/1328), both tortured and imprisoned. Ibn Taymiyya died in prison.

Ibn Rushd (d. 595/1198), imprisoned and exiled.

Al-Nisa’i (d. 309/915), beaten and died from his injuries in jail

Al-Tabari (d. 310/923), Muslim historian, was persecuted by fanatic Hanbalis; his books were eventually burned, and grave desecrated by enemies.

Al-Nawawi (d. 676/1277), fired from his teaching post and banned to Damascus, then to Egypt, fired again, arrested and imprisoned, died poor and lonely in his father’s home.

The common characteristic of all of the above is that despite obstacles including in some instance the worse of oppression and torture they all remained firm in their belief and constant in their struggles to make the word of Allah highest. May Allah (swt) accept their actions and may we all be inspired to strive in their footsteps. Ameen.

source: http://www.hizb.org.uk/hizb/resources/islamic-knowledge/the-struggle-muslims-face.html

 

Why he believes in Allah… November 19, 2009

I would like to share with you the thoughts of a servant of ALlah, and lets just see why he trusts and belives in ALlah. He writes the following:

 ”When we were kids we normally used to think that what were to happen if there was no Allah and all of this was not as true as we were told , may Allah forgive us :)

I was 17 when I started working and staying away from the house almost 15 years I was really away from deen but Alhamdolillah then Allah gave me the mujahideen and Zaid Zaman Hamid sahab, something I really and truly never deserved but since Allah doesnt make mistakes I am thankful to Him .

I believe in Allah because I see the creations around me and the biggest and most stunning thing that makes me believe in Allah is the creation of man itself. Imagine from a nutfah to a 6 foot man this is something that can never be achieved by any other than the Creator Himself.

 Then even the animals and their systems that Allah has given to them. Do you know that the ants are the most closest to us as far as their living styles are concerned they have ceremonies of birth and death they have regular food patterns they travel in groups and have recognized each other by different call signs and tribes that they have made in their colonies .They store food for the rainy days and have rules and regulations that they follow better than we humans do and a hundred other things that I am not able to remember now.

 You pick up any national geographic documentary on animals or nature and even an atheist will have the hardest of times refuting the truth that their is an ALLAH. I can literally sit the whole day and watch these fascinating mind boggling docs on the creations of Allah the galaxies, the sea world , animals living underground and the migration of birds and even fish- trout and other fish travel thousands and thousands of miles to reach warm waters.

 Then the biggest and the most powerful factor is the Quran a living legend and the Only Book that has challenged the whole of humanity to take out an error in it but nobody could in more than 1400 years and many have tried and Allah has insulted them like anything.

 Then RasulAllah (pbuh) has put the final nails in the coffin of the atheists and non believers alhamdolillah each and every pearl of wisdom he gave us and all of his prophecies are absolutely irrefutable and cannot be challenged by anyone.

 The period of darkness that he was sent in and how in only 2 decades he transformed the whole planet .Not only humans but animals also got their rights from what he  preached- which was the Quran.

The christian and zionist evengelicals are also baffled by this reality the ikhlaq and morals that he taught us are surely a sign that all of his teachings are not divine knowldge but have been spread in the world also by divine intervention and the spiritual beings that are employed by Allah .

I make Allah my witness that if these non believers are dealt with love and somehow convinced to read an easy translation of the quran in their own language , it is impossible that they not revert back to the original faith – that is ISlam.

It has been my dream to come across a non believer some day but have not been able to do so as yet.

 Another thing that strengthens my faith in ALLAH is when HE listens to our prayers and when HE gives us something that we want but have not asked for it ,yet only a little want for something comes in our hearts and the next thing you know Allah has given it to us. Its an amazing feeling that i encounter .

Also when Allah doesnt accept our duas and doesnt give us something that we have asked for and we know that Allah means khair for us and then in a few minutes Allah does a favour and opens the secret and the hikmah behind not giving us what we had asked for and then the rest of the day we spend thanking Him for doing what He did :)

and I know there is an Allah when we are offering our prayers and the voice of the imam pierces our hearts and even though we dont know what the Quran is saying to us but the tears from our eyes and the shiver down our spine and the goosebumps vouch it to be the only truth there is.

 I know there is an Allah when I see a mother hug her child and kiss her. I know there is an Allah when I see the mujahideen fight in the battlefield I know there is an Allah when I see a brother not eat for days before going on a martyrdom operation in Afghanistan .

There is an God-Allah, who is with us whenever we need Him. He is the All Mighty, the All Wise.

you get the picture :)

SubhanAllah. i pray we die as Muslims and that Allah swt turns our hearts to His obedience ameen. if you want to share your experiences  and thoughts of why you believe in ALlah, please email me. thanks :)