Don't depend too much on anyone in this world

Whatever it is that’s hurting you, whatever it is that’s causing you pain, whatever it is, that’s meant you don’t smile as much as you used to, you don’t talk as much as you used to and you’re a different person to who you used to be, know, that there is a purpose behind it, whether you understand it or not. There is wisdom behind it, whether you see it or not and there is goodness in it, whether you’re able to find it then or not. And isn’t it strange, how for some reason, we only realise that when everything is going good for us? Yet when we’re going through a hard time, we seem to forget that the pain and heartache, that too, has a purpose. That too, is building us, fixing us, preparing us, and teaching us. Sometimes you can’t make sense of it right then, but after some time you understand why, and you’re grateful, that you went through those things, just so you could come back to your Lord. Everything that has been created serves a purpose. The sun you wake up to every morning, has a purpose. Those trees you walk past every day, have a purpose. Each of your organs within you, have a purpose. And those tests and trials you’re afflicted with, they too, have a purpose. So perhaps you are touched with hardships, soaked in sorrow and enveloped with sadness, but let your belief, yaqīn, hope and longing in Allāh, save you- from drowning in them.

Mary, the Mother of Jesus, was mentioned more in the Quran than in the Bible. She is also the only woman mentioned by name in the Quran.

Cute Sweatshirts

I’ve read a few things in the last couple of days speaking of how women who dress provocatively share a part of the blame, or are to be blamed entirely, when a man sexually harasses or assaults them. Amongst the Muslims that I’ve seen discuss this, the unfortunately prevalent idea that the presence of a head scarf or abaya will somehow make one less likely to be victim to such atrocities is pretty foolish to say the least. I’ve taken a group of 100 people or so for umrah, a religious pilgrimage to Mecca, every year for the last 6 years alhamdulillah (we’re going again in March if anyone wants to join us - details at http://www.icnyu.org/?page_id=604) and it’s a truly amazing experience. But every year at least one if not a few women who are with us end up telling me about the unwanted advances, harassment, and groping at the hands of men who have no idea what it really means to be a man. The most difficult to digest accounts are of those women who say while they are making tawaaf around the kaaba, they feel hands rubbing on their bodies and they turn to see men wearing ihraam smirking at them as if to let them know that this was no accident or mistake - they knew exactly what they were doing and enjoyed every minute of it. These women were all wearing head scarves, abayas, and some even niqaabs. And even if they weren’t, there would be no excuse for any man to ever put their hands on them in any way against their wishes. These men were in Mecca, next to the kaaba and wearing the clothes of ihraam, but that made no difference. If men in that setting could do such vulgar things, what do you think men all over the world are capable of, especially when the discourse of victim-shaming of women gives them that much more freedom to do what they want? The realities of how we talk, act and react to issues of harassment, assault, and everyday treatment of women gives these men no sense of consequence, morality or ethics. We all become complicit in this until we start recognizing our individual roles and responsibilities. The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, has said, “Whosoever believes in God and the Last Day, then let him speak good or be silent.” At the very least, keep yourself from being amongst those who believe clothing is the root of the problem and the solution is to just wear more of it. If you think like that, my advice to you as a brother is to follow this counsel from the Prophet Muhammad. It definitely is one of those times that you should keep your mouth shut. You’re just adding to a pre-existing pain and injustice in ways that you might not realize.

MY DEAR SISTERS IN ISLAM. TODAY I AM SPEAKING TO YOU FROM MY HEART. THESE ARE THE WORDS OF A SISTER AND A TEACHER CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR WELFARE. I AM PAINED TO SEE YOUR STATE. I feel it is my duty to help you and protect you from the allures of Shaytaan. It is my duty to offer you advice and warn you of the dangers. It is my duty to inspire you to make the right decisions. We live in a world of trials and tribulations. We face challenges that we need to overcome but, because of these trials, we can become better people. Our experiences make us grow and help strengthen us. It is best to face any challenge with a firm belief and trust in Allah Ta’ala, always seeking His guidance. In today’s world, people are misled into thinking that their problems can find idealised, illusory solutions that ostensibly involve heroism, valour and romance. There will be those who will seek to manipulate you by telling you that they know what you are going through, assuring you that they can relate to your inner most feelings and promising you to help you forget your troubles. Unfortunately, there is a group that is manipulating Muslims under the guise of religion. The ‘mujahids’ of ISIS are preying on the vulnerabilities of our sisters, living both here in the UK and abroad, by enticing them with promises of a life in a ‘perfect’ Islamic State and of marriage to a ‘mujahid.’ This is ISIS propaganda, which is designed to appeal to the young and impressionable. These ‘mujahids’ prey on your insecurities and try to make you doubt the righteousness of your practice of Islam. Do not be inspired by ISIS’ superficial authenticity; its actions do not represent Islam in any shape or form. In fact, ISIS bears a resemblance to the Khawarij, a group that deviated from mainstream Islam in its early history. ISIS, like the Khawarij, has strayed far from the teachings of Islam. Its apparent authenticity is nothing but deception, no matter how much its adherents pray and fast. The Prophet (PBUH) said about the Khawarij, THERE WILL APPEAR SOME PEOPLE AMONG YOU. YOU WILL BELITTLE YOUR PRAYERS AND FASTING IN COMPARISON TO THEIRS. THEY WILL RECITE THE QURAN BUT IT WILL NOT EXCEED THEIR THROATS. THEY WILL PASS OUT OF THE RELIGION JUST AS AN ARROW PASSES OUT OF A PREY. —(SAHIH BUKHARI, BOOK 66, HADITH 83) ISIS, the modern day Khawarij, is seeking to take you away from your friends and loved ones. Its adherents are only motivated by greed and lust. They know only ignorance and have professed every obscenity against Islamic law. Know that the promises of ISIS are false. In the pursuit of studying Islam, I lived for five years (2003-2008) in Syria, which has been an epicentre of sacred knowledge and Prophetic inheritance for centuries. Not once did I find in any text anything that could sanction ISIS’ actions as being legitimate. Nor did I ever meet any scholar who could sanction them as such. Not once. In Islam, it is not permitted to indiscriminately kill, maim, pillage, and rape. In Islam, there is no black and white ‘us against them’ dogma. The ‘mujahids’ of ISIS are lethal to anyone who opposes them. They have sunk their claws in innocent lives and subjected them to every manner of brutality. Do not engage, online or otherwise, with Jihadist propagandists that offer you marriage as a means of escaping from your world to theirs. They claim that marriage to one of these self-professed warriors of Islam is a noble act, forgetting that they constantly commit the most heinous acts. They entice you to leave all that you hold dear, to abandon the love of your family and forsake the obedience due to your parents to join them in their illegitimate crusade. Eventually, this ‘utopian Islamic dream’ is not easy to sustain; it shattered for Tareena Shakil, a British woman who travelled to Syria with her young son. She had to escape from an ISIS stronghold to avoid becoming a ‘jihadi bride’. She begged her father to take her back and asked him for forgiveness. Life with the jihadists was hard. She avoided a forced marriage to a one-legged ISIS ‘mujahid’ by scrambling over a barbed wire fence; others may not be so fortunate. THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD (PBUH) IS MERCY, WE HAVE NOT SENT YOU EXCEPT AS A MERCY TO THE WORLDS —(QURAN 21:107) Let us return to the beautiful character of the Prophet (PBUH), who taught us virtuous behaviour and kind treatment even of animals, such as the case of a man who was rewarded for giving water to a thirsty dog (Bukhari). The Prophet’s way is one of mercy, compassion and righteousness. My sisters, I pray that you will withstand this trial. I advise you to cut off all communication with any online ‘mujahids’ or supporters of the so-called Islamic State. Do not forget the promise of Allah Ta’ala and the rewards for righteousness. Let us seek out the channels of right guidance so that we may be counted among the successful in this world and the next.

Eid al-Adha is every Islamophobe’s favourite holiday because they get the opportunity to diguise their hate as animal rights activism.