#supermuslim

Project: Remember Me, I will Remember You Our beloved Prophet (PBUH) was sent as a source of mercy and as Muslims we should follow in his footsteps. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) advised for us to “Keep your tongue moist with the remembrance of Allah”. For the coming month inshaAllah, we will share Azkar together that can be recited before and after our daily activities. We want to get in the habit of remembering Allah with every step that we take. Through this project we hope that we can all help and remind each other to master this habit.

When I reflect upon these past few years, the things I used to do, the way I used to act, the people I used to hang out with, I realize that I’ve changed a lot. I always thought that I can correctly judge a situation. I can decide what is “Ok” to be said or done. I can decide whom I want to hang out with. I can pretty much decide everything on my own.

But looking back, I realize that there were times when I really messed things up. It’s ok as long as I learn from my mistakes. But then I thought that I needed some kind of guidance. Things can’t be this random all the time. I know I must be missing something. And then it hit me, I am missing the most important thing. I’m missing a relationship with Allah.

 I’ve totally been ignoring the role of religion in my life. Religion for me meant praying, fasting in Ramadan, and occasionally reading Quran without understanding most of it, and I think that’s the case with most of the Muslims today. They set their own standards and they follow them. But the thing that we don’t realize is that our standards get affected by the things and the people around us. Even though we try to set some sort of rules for ourselves, these change too with time.

What is fascinating about Islam is that it gave us guiding lines to everything in life. There’s not a thing or a situation you’ll find yourself in that is not addressed directly or indirectly in the Quran or Sunnah. Whether it’s the way we should dress or talk, or the way we should treat others, or the way we should act during war, whatever comes to your mind, you’ll find it in the Quran and Sunnah.

People spend most of their lives feeling lost, not knowing what this life is about. Some live and die without knowing the answer. Some just live on and try to persuade themselves that there’s no bigger purpose for living, it’s just one life to live and when it’s over it’s over.

We were given everything we need to live a peaceful and a happy life and what do we do with all that? We just live like we don’t have a clue about anything. We throw away all these blessings that we have as Muslims; we pretend that all these guidelines we’re given are not applicable in the situations we face every day even though that’s not true at all.

We have to realize that we’re blessed and we can lead happy lives even extraordinary lives if we hold on tight to the Quran and Sunnah.

Allah says in Surat Taha “And whoever turns away from My remembrance - indeed, he will have a depressed life, and We will gather him on the Day of Resurrection blind - He will say, “My Lord, why have you raised me blind while I was [once] seeing?” - [Allah] will say, “Thus did Our signs come to you, and you forgot them; and thus will you this Day be forgotten.” (1)

For us to be true Muslims, we must realize and fully understand that Islam is not limited to a certain aspect of our lives, on the contrary Islam is a way of life. It’s part of our daily lives and our decisions.

So starting today promise yourself that you won’t be blind and remember Allah only when you’re praying. Remember him when you’re eating, working and travelling. Remember him in everything you do or say. Hold on tight to the Quran and Sunnah. Make Islam a way of life.

Salam’alaikum dear brothers and sisters,

Today I would like to speak to you about a very important topic that will help you all deal with some difficult times, inshaAllah.

We live in a world where there are wars, killings, and unexpected deaths. We also live in a world of fantasy, where what we see on the television, or hear in stories, we want. We attach ourselves to material things, only to have us be bored with it, or even worse, make us obsessed with it. We attach ourselves to people we wish to have in our lives when they are no one but a stranger to us, according to the view, and laws of Allah.

We live in a world where our heart, one of the most beautiful aspects of humans, gets attached to things it should not. When our heart is attached to something, we tend to go above and beyond our means to achieve that thing. When we do not get it, Allah serves us a lesson. He strikes us with grief, and with pain to show us that our heart should not have been overly attached to that material thing, to that person who was a stranger, or that wealth that is not ours anyway. I would like to relay to you a very beautiful piece by Imam Ibn Taymiyyah (May Allah be pleased with him). 

He said:“Anyone whose heart is attached to the creation, hoping for someone from the creation to help him or provide for him or guide him, then his heart submits to them and to the degree that his heart submits to them, he becomes their slave. This holds true, even if he is outwardly a ruler or guardian over those whom he treats as masters. The wise one looks at realities and not at appearances. So if a man’s heart is attached to his wife, even though that is permissible, his heart remains a prisoner to her and she may rule over him as she pleases - though outwardly he is her master and her husband. In reality, he is her prisoner and her slave, especially if she knows how much he is in need of her and how much he is in love with her and how much he feels she cannot be replaced by anyone else. At that point, she rules over him as the tyrant master rules over his subjugated slave, who cannot escape of go free. Indeed for the heart to be taken as a prisoner is a much greater matter than for the body to be taken as a slave or prisoner. Even a body that is a slave can have in it a serene and peaceful and happy heart. As for the heart that is a slave to other than Allah (the Exalted), then that is true humiliation, imprisonment and slavery.”

While I was walking down the street a couple of days ago, I witnessed 3 different fights between different people for the most insignificant reasons anyone can think of. I wondered how can Muslim brothers who are supposed to be fasting in Ramadan behave in such ways. I kept watching how people behave and I realized that somehow a huge gap was created between worshipping Allah through fasting, praying….etc and understanding how this should reflect upon our behavior.

What most of us don’t realize nowadays is that having good manners in not a secondary issue in Islam. It’s one of the most primary and essential issues. Our beloved prophet (Peace be upon him) said: “I have only been sent to perfect good manners.” (1). So the prophet (Peace be upon him) basically summarized his whole message in perfecting good manners. Therefore not acknowledging this fact is a major defect in our understanding of Islam and what it’s all about.

Thinking about the most basic act of worship that we do everyday like praying for example, you’ll realize that one of the main purposes of praying is prohibiting immorality and wrong doing as Allah says in Surat Al-`Ankabūt “ Recite, [O Muhammad], what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish prayer. Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing, and the remembrance of Allah is greater. And Allah knows that which you do.” (2)

Another example is fasting,  the prophet (peace be upon him ) said, "Whoever does not abandon falsehood in word and action, then Allah (SWT) has no need that he should heave his food and drink" (3). Fasting is supposed to bring discipline and peace to our lives. It is not about abandoning food and drink; it’s about abandoning bad habits and wrong doings.

The same goes for all acts of worship like Hajj and Zakah. All acts of worship have a common purpose whih is to perfect one’s manners and help a person be better inside out. Allah says in Surat Al-Baqarah “Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west, but [true] righteousness is [in] one who believes in Allah , the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler, those who ask [for help], and for freeing slaves; [and who] establishes prayer and gives zakah; [those who] fulfill their promise when they promise; and [those who] are patient in poverty and hardship and during battle. Those are the ones who have been true, and it is those who are the righteous.” (4). Therefore true righteousness is reached through being patient, helping those in need, keeping your promises and having good manners.

It’s very important to recognize the purpose behind every act of worship that you do and to understand the tight link between worshipping Allah and having good manners and a pure heart. This is what Islam is about; perfecting one’s manners so that all of us can live peacefully together. So focus on how you behave, on how you treat other people. Focus on the way you react when faced with a difficult situation. Think about the way Allah would want you to act. Think about the way our beloved prophet (peace be upon him) would have acted. Try to set a good example for everyone around you on how a true Muslim behaves.

 May Allah bless us to love our Prophet and follow his example in both outward and inward matters. May Allah gather us together with him along with the prophets, the righteous, and the foremost in faith. Indeed they are the best of company. 

 Al –Bukhari

 Holy Quran, Surat Al-`Ankabūt (The spider), Verse 45

 Al- Bukhari

A few years back, there was this girl, a friend of a friend. I didn’t know her, never spoke to her, never even met her. I only saw a picture of her. I instantly didn’t like her or the way she dressed just because she wasn’t as conservative as I was and I found myself having all these thoughts and opinions about her. She must be doing this, she must be doing that. All of a sudden I was startled by how much I’ve let my mind wander and assume things about this girl when I didn’t even know her. I was really ashamed of the way I judged her, because really who am I to judge another person? And since that day I promised myself that I’ll try my best not to judge anyone ever again.

The reason I’m sharing this today, is that nowadays almost everyone is judging everyone else. We’ve created stereotypes and we use superficial standards to form shallow opinions of others. While, in fact Islam is totally against judging other people.

I was taught that one of the main axes of Islam is “Sincere belief” in the existence of Allah, his angels, his books, his messengers, the judgment day and the predestination.  When I asked why it’s called “sincere” belief and not “correct” belief for example. I was told that faith lies in the heart of the believer, and since we human beings can never know what a person heart holds, we can never tell if his faith is correct or not. His sincerity can only be judged by Allah who is the only one who knows what lies in people’s hearts.

Our prophet (peace be upon him) never announced the names of the hypocrites, even though he knew them, so people wouldn’t consider it as Sunnah and start questioning other people’s sincerity and faith.

Allah says in the holy Quran: “Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted.” (1)

So it’s not our place to judge others by the way they dress, walk, talk or what they do for a living. We can’t know where they stand according to Allah.  Our only role is to work on ourselves and to pray for guidance for those who need it including ourselves.

Abu Huraira reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Verily, a prostitute saw a dog lolling around a well on a hot day and hanging his tongue from thirst, so she drew some water for it in her shoe and Allah forgave her.” (2)

So the way Allah judges people is pretty different than the way we do. You never know which good deed will earn you your ticket to Jannah.

So, if you see somebody doing something wrong or even something forbidden, do not judge because you don’t know what you’d have done if you were in his/her shoes. Do not judge because you don’t know how you would’ve turned up, if you were raised in different conditions. Do not judge, because no one is perfect including yourself.  Do not judge because you never know who will end up in Jannah and who won’t. Do not judge, instead find excuses for your sisters and brothers, ask Allah to guide them and forgive them. Ask Allah to guide you and forgive you as well.

  (1)  Surat Al-Ĥujurāt , verse 13