Make room

Allah (swt) must be very big. As soon as you take up any space at all, there is no room left for Him.

Surfacing

1.

When one begins
to truly serve Allah,
he is often filled with
great confusion and
evil thoughts.
The evil was always there,
but only now
it is

sur­facing.


2.

A pot of water may seem clear.
But placed on a fire it begins to boil,
all its impurities are brought to the surface.
One must remove impurities.

The original purity is merely an illusion.

With heat the impurities surface.
But when these impurities are removed,
the water is truly
pure and

clear.


3.

Before serving Allah, good and evil
are completely mixed together within.
The impurities united with the good
-- they cannot be recognized.

When a person comes close to Allah
he burns with a great love.
Touched with the heat of purification,
all the evil and impurities come to
the surface.

Here again, one must stand by
and constantly remove the impurities
as they appear. In the end
the person is truly
pure and

clear.


4.

Purification requires a period
of agitation and confusion.

In the beginning a person is
totally immersed in the material.

He then begins to come close to Allah.

It seems possible to remove
this dirt and impurity at once.

However, his mind is completely
intermingled with this mire.

Were it to be removed immediately,
his mind would be drawn out with it.

Therefore, one must be purified
little by little,

in
gradual
stages.

Bending Morality

And most surely you conform (yourself) to sublime morality. (1)

It has always been a source of both shock and awe to me to observe the ease with which people apply a double standard. There are many facets of life in which they readily accept that bending the rules is impossible, while in others they insist that they must be bent, sometimes to the point that the rule is abolished.

In the physical sciences we understand that rules do not bend. Water is always composed of two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen. The slightest deviation is impossible. Nor can the rule be bent in music as well. The conductor of a great symphony cannot allow each player even so much as a half note of difference from the written note, lest he invite chaos and disharmony. A teacher of mathematics must demand the same loyalty to the rules. Geometry, trigonometry, or even simple arithmetic simply cannot allow any variation from each accuracy. The solution of a problem is either right or it is wrong; there simply cannot be an in-between. Imagine, if you can, the chaos that would result in athletics if the referee or umpire allowed each player to bend the rules ever so slightly. No, if the game is ever to be played, it will need to be played according to the rules and not by individual whim. I wonder how long you would take your automobile to a mechanic who did not believe in making repairs according to instructions, but replaced your battery with one of a different voltage because he liked its colour better?

From hadith we learn that Abu Huraira heard The Prophet (saws) say "We are the last but will be the foremost to enter Paradise." The Prophet added, "He who obeys me, obeys Allah, and he who disobeys me, disobeys Allah. He who obeys the chief, obeys me, and he who disobeys the chief, disobeys me. The Imam is like a shelter for whose safety the Muslims should fight and where they should seek protection. If the Imam orders people with righteousness and rules justly, then he will be rewarded for that, and if he does the opposite, he will be responsible for that." (2)

Life is full of rules, and they bring order out of chaos, insure safety in times of crisis, help us to understand nature, enable us to repeat our successes and avoid our mistakes. More often than not, we understand that we bend the rules at our own risk.

How then do we expect that bending the rules be allowed in matters of faith and morals? Why do we demand that bending the rules of conduct be permitted when those rules are inconvenient or unsuitable for our purposes? The results are always the same; as we bend these rules, we ignore our better judgement, and pay a price far larger than the price of respecting them. We should take care then, to respect the rules of Islamic morality as carefully as we do the rules of arithmetic; in both rules 1 + 1 will never make 3.

I will end this two pence in a khutbah with a dua'a:

"O my Lord, do not let our hearts deviate from the Truth now that we have been guided; but grant us Mercy from Your very Presence, for You are the Giver of bounties without measure."

Rabbana la tuzigh quloobanaa, ba’da ith haday tanaa, wa hablanaa milla dunka Rahma. Innaka antal Wah-haab.

Ameen


Footnotes
1) 68.04
2) Bukhari: Volume 4, Book 52, Number 204

Smothered hope

Doubt, worry, feelings of inadequacy and failure -- all these smother and incapacitate our nafs. Preventing it from doing its job. You need to find the appropriate time to deal with them. But don't carry them around the whole day.

During the day, you are Aadam or Hawwa before they tasted the forbidden fruit.

A Father's Dying Wish

Oh my child,
do not fear
anyone or anything
but
Allah.

Be kind to your
neighbour,
and you will be
a righteous
believer.

Know Allah
in all your
ways --

and serve Him with gladness...

9 Point Muslim Inreach Campaign

Bayt al-Hikma
9 Point Muslim Inreach Campaign

1. Salat
Salat is considered a duty and is the most important act of worship in Islam. We must encourage our sisters and brothers to perform prayer everyday in a timely fashion.

2. Sajada - A reminder in every room
Every Muslim home should have a sajada in its rooms. The prayer rug helps to keep the worshipper clean and comfortable during the prostrations of prayer and is a sign that the home is sanctified for Allah (swt) and enjoys His protection.

3. Quran
Study a portion of the Quran daily. Even a few lines contain the infinite wisdom and knowledge of Allah (swt).

4. Zakat
Give charity daily. When you give to the needy, you are serving as Allah's (swt) emissary to provide for His Ummah. A Muslims home is a classroom, and keeping a charity box in your home - and offering zakat to it every day - will teach you and your children the noble value of regular giving.

5. A home filled with religious books
Furnish your home with as many religious books as possible. At the very least, get a hold of the Quran, ahadith collections, and the stories of the Sahaba.

6. Halal
Eating is one of the basics of life. Shouldn't it be done with wisdom? For a healthy and sound soul, eat only halal foods, for when you eat differently, your Islam becomes more than just metaphysical, but part of your very being.

7. Love Your neighbour
The Prophet Muhammad (saws) said: "If you are kind to your neighbour, you will be a believer. If you like others to have what you like for yourself, you will be a Muslim" (Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1334). Reaching out to your fellow Muslim with patience, love, concern and unity is among the greatest interpersonal act a Muslim can do.

8. Education
Every Muslim boy and girl should receive a Islamic education. Teach your children everything you know about your faith, and provide them with a quality Islamic education - you will be ensuring Muslim integrity, Muslim identity and a Muslim future.

9. Observe Family Purity
Observance of the Islamic marital laws allows you to make the most of your marriage, bringing you and your spouse to new, undiscovered depths of intimacy and sacredness in your relationship.

Learning from children?

What is it that we can learn from our children?

Our children innocently believe that everything should be fair and everyone should be honest, that only good should prevail, that everybody should have what they want and there should be no pain or sadness. Our children believe the world should be perfect and just and are outraged to discover it is not.

Our children are right!

Heart to heart

It's very
good
to speak out your
heart
to

God

as you
would
to a true good
friend.

Allahu akbar

A poem in three words

Truth
promotes
peace

The Mistaken Assault

Sheikh Ibrahim of Cairo was walking down the street when all of a sudden a woman jumped on him and began to hit him and shriek at him. After a while she noticed that the sheikh was not the man she thought he was: her husband, who had left her to her chance and abandoned her many years ago. She burst into tears out of both her tribulation and humiliation.

Sheikh Ibrahim stood back up upon his feet and consoled her, saying that she had not beaten him but her run away husband.

Doesn't this happen to us all the time? We get ill-tempered -- at a stranger, at a friend, at a loved one -- only to later discover that we were not really angry at them, but at the person we thought they were...

Conflict Free Day

There is no conflict between your work and your time in Islamic study, dikr and salat. When you are connected to Allah (swt), your work goes that much smoother. And when you work honestly, you see miracles with open eyes.

Everywhere

Oh Allah, where I wander
Oh Allah, where I ponder
Only You everywhere, You, always You.

In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Oh Allah, when I am gladdened
Oh Allah, and when I am saddened
Only You, everywhere You!

Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim

From the celestial canopy
To the rich earth and azure sea
You above! You below!

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

In every day, on the righteous way,
Oh Allah, never far
Oh Allah, Allahu akbar!

Our children, our keys

There are no one-way roads in this dunya. There is no way to be charitable without getting, there is no one who gets but cannot give.

So it is with the children of our ummah. Just as the adult gives the child the knowledge and wisdom of this dunya and the next, so the child can give the adult the keys of how to live it.

Soon may it come

The sands of time run on
Drifting through the ages
Gales move them
From valley to peak
Peak to valley
Yet sands remain sands

Our ummah too has been blown
From valley to peak
From low to high
From struggle to triumph
From sadness to joy
Yet a believer remains a believer

Faithful through the gale
The ummah reassert
Reaffirm
Their tawhid
Their taqwa
Their deen
Their tayyib
To Allah and to humanity

Sacrificing life
For love
For relief
For truth
A day
Of no more winds
No more storms
A silent peace
An era of Islam

Seven days
We labour for in our deen
Since Aadam
We've laboured
For Yawm al-Qiyamah

Soon may it come

Compassion: The Hidden Presence

Then he is of those who believe and charge one another to show patience, and charge one another to show compassion. (1)

At times in life we all experience levels of distress. To this we receive pity, sympathy, empathy, compassion. They are the human responses that come up by our misfortunes from those we encounter. And each feels different when received. Each has a different effect on those who are suffering in the midst of spiritual or physical crisis.

Of the four, compassion has a special quality, a quality so different from the rest that it connotes a certain spiritual as well as emotional characteristic. Perhaps for this reason it is often cited in both the Quran and collections of ahadith as a virtue to be sought and developed.

The recipient of compassion feels its superiority immediately. Unlike pity, it has no haughtiness. Unlike empathy, it does not require a similar experience on the part of the giver. And while sympathy is a wonderful virtue, it connotes less free-spiritedness and variety than compassion; one would not normally associate laughter or frivolity with sympathy, for example. And there is also a certain distance or separation inherent in sympathy, one sympathizes with the other. A very wonderful quality, still, sympathy stands at a different level than compassion.

While sympathy is a tender response to misfortune, compassion is a way of life.

The dictionary offers the following etymological meaning for the word compassion:

compassiōn-, from compassus, past participle of compatī, to sympathize : Latin com-, com- + Latin patī, to suffer (2)

But there is another modern definition, one that does not limit compassion as a response to suffering, but rather to life itself, making it a quality that one would live with in every situation, with every person, rather than only with one who is in distress.

Com-passion: Com (with) - passion (strong feeling, enthusiasm); to be with another in strong feeling and with enthusiasm.

Compassion, does not require sadness, sorrow or even the desire to help, though it could include all these things. It simply means being fully present with someone no matter the circumstances of his or her life. Compassion suspends judgment and takes each circumstance equally -- each as a moment of life to be lived in its fullness. It . All possible emotions and feelings and behaviours of which we are capable are inherent in every moment, in every circumstance.

And so, compassion comes with no bias. It has no attitudes. It has no special face or tone of voice. It is not bound by rules of behaviour, civility, expectations, though it may be guided by all of these things.

Compassion is prepared to meet others wherever they are, recognizing that the circumstance or challenge they now face is as much a part of their life as any other part of their life. Compassion can laugh or cry, joke or console, be curious and inquisitive, talkative or silent. Compassion is not afraid to be fully present, hopeful, or lighthearted. Compassion does not turn away. It is never afraid to see beauty or find humour or share a broken heart.

Compassion contains no pity because it does not judge one circumstance of life as better as or worse than the next. For it comes from a place in which all things are from the divine decree of Allah (swt), presented to us to be lived to its completion.

Compassion is not constricted by rules because it recognizes the uniqueness of each instant and each person. As compassion opens the door to visit the sick, it has no idea what lies ahead and so is prepared for spontaneity, for the unexpected -- whether from the patient or from itself.

Compassion creates its own result. As it interacts with the other, a new thing happens, because compassion is prepared to yield to whatever happens next, always with the other in mind.

Compassion is a spiritual quality often written about but rarely found. Because to have compassion means to have full acceptance of each circumstance in life. And this is very difficult to achieve. Thus, those who have compassion are usually those who have a great deal of varied experience and self exploration in their own lives. They have suffered, they have struggled with their own shaytan, they have met and known such a wide variety of people and touched the humanity in each of them in so many different situations that they can no longer judge and reject, neither person nor circumstance. They have come to realize that life offers what it offers and that each of us is all of us. The Prophet Muhammad (saws) said: No man loves another for God's sake without his Lord honouring him. (3)

And that is what compassion gives us. In offering compassion, with kindness and goodness. And because of this compassion is never a burden to whom it is directed. Compassion is always welcome. It relieves the sick or bereaved from the need to care for the visitor. It relieves the one who is burdened from the added burden of being a source of burden to the other. For compassion comes simply to say hello, to be a companion in whatever circumstance presents itself. Compassion has come to simply listen or laugh, to accompany whatever is taking place without expectation or the need to make things better. Because compassion believes that things are as they are meant to be. And it believes that all circumstance can be shared. Thus, compassion, when it enters, usually banishes loneliness, and if not, it accompanies the lonely in their solitude.

Anas reported that The Prophet (saws) did not enter the house of any woman except that of his wives and that of Umm Sulaim. He used to visit her. It was said to him why it was so, whereupon he said: I feel great compassion for her. Her brother was killed while he was with me. (4)

Compassion can sit with the dying in silence, or with one giving birth, marveling equally in the miracle taking place. Compassion can join in suffering, accepting pain as a part of life. Compassion can jump into action, if action is called for and desired. Compassion can give to the poor or help heal the sick, without judgment or lack of respect.

And if ever you are fortunate enough to be in the presence of compassion, you will barely notice it, so natural does it seem -- as natural as the hidden presence of Allah (swt), noticeable only if you look.


Footnote
1) 90.16
2) http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/compassion
3) Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1301
4) Sahih Muslim: Book 31, Number 6010

Nuances

Allah (swt) breathes within the words of The Prophet (saws). Even those things he himself did not grasp, that we have only discovered centuries later, can be found truthful nuances.

Holding Back?

Finding Islam
Gentle
Light
Relaxed
We have peace
Gaze lowered
Soul high
A light to the streets of the world
مكة المكرمة
Holy valley of Ibrahim
To our future
What is our past?
What is our present?
Tawhid
Tajdid
Takbir
أعوذ بالله
We are all in this together
Our Ummah
One people
One straight path
Are we in this together?
In
One
Righteous
Jihad?
Muslim
Unity
Mujihadeen
Can we understand?
These people struggle for the cause of Allah
الدين
They have "on their shoulders"
On their lives
Islam
Islam!!!
Why do we not struggle?
Why?
Why don't we do more?
Love more?
For the sake of Allah
Love within
السلام عليكم

A Problem Solved

Once, two Chechen villagers came to their Imam with a disagreement. They quickly described their dispute, then awaited the Qadi's decision.

Instead of giving an immediate verdict, the imam asked one of the villagers a question about what had happened. The imam listened to the answer for a long time, then asked the other villager a question about his experience. The imam continued asking questions until both the believers admitted that they had nothing more to say.

At that point, the imam retired to deliberate. Almost immediately, he returned and announced his decision. The villagers, seeming to accept his judgement without question, shook hands and offered salaam as they departed.

After they left, another believer who had witnessed the whole matter said to the imam, "Subhan'Allah, it took you only a moment to decide. Why did you spend all that time with them, when you were able to arrive at the proper decision so quickly?"

The imam replied, "I needed to listen to everything they had to say. Only then would they accept my decision without resentment. Only then would their problem really be solved."

Tasbeeh and tahmeed

Subhan'Allah and alhamdulillah are like two great pillars holding the celestial canopy above our ummah so that they can live the mission of Islam.

Tasbeeh and tahmeed are more than mere words.

They are for all to see and hear that the same Allah (swt) in heaven is here within the earth, within all the endeavors of humankind. For there is nothing else but Allah (swt).

Islam says

Islam says: Before Islam
there was shirk. Islam has tainted traces
from over there.
Islam says: Iqra.
You read: There is an echo,
from yesterday.

Take truth and try to be truthful.
Have iman and try to speak.
Before iman, truth is a wound
from which this dunya suffers.
Tawhid says: Is, Is not, Is,
Is not. Islam says: I submit.
Truth says: Let’s live,
let’s feel, come say
شهادة

The Mountainous Pebble

Had We sent down this Quran on a mountain, you would certainly have seen it falling down, splitting asunder because of the fear of Allah, and We set forth these parables to men that they may reflect. (1)

Abu Dawud once visited his father who was serving as both Imam and ‘Ālim in Sovetskoye. As he approached the masjid he saw his father standing at the door, contemplating the mountain that overlooked the town for a long time.

One of the students in the masjid became impatient, and asked the Chechen sheikh: Had he never noticed this mountain before?

Said the Sovetskoye Imam: I stand here and wonder: how such a small rock could puff itself up till it became such a big mountain!


Footnote
1) 59.21

A Mindful Heart

The mind and the heart must slowly learn to dance together.

At first, the mind holds the heart tightly. The heart yells, "I want it! I must have it!"

And the mind says, "No, we have discussed this you don't need it."

And the heart screams, "But now I feel I need it! I can't be at peace otherwise!"

And the mind says, "That's because you are a heart. Hearts feel that way. But I am a mind and I know we won't die if you don't have it."

Eventually, the heart learns the dance of the straight path and becomes a mindful heart.

Burial

Isolated
From all but
A selected few

Surrounded
Untrusting eyes
Harsh hearts

Reject
White stars
Pax seculorum

Liberty
Future unknown
Another bomb

Extremist
Are you Muslim?
Fucker

Guilty
Without a trial
Terror

Families
Ripped apart
By belief
A mute ummah
Silented
By fear

Shariah
Not served
Justice

Hope
In Allah
Alone

Don't let
Them bury
You

Today's Tragedy

And He found thee wandering, and He gave thee guidance. And He found thee in need, and made thee independent. (1)

When I was a young boy, we lived in a small community in Canada. Not far from my house was a vast forest that extended for uncounted acres in every direction. One quiet day, a young child was lost in the woods, and the community mobilized to find her. Search parties were organized, volunteers gathered, and alarms were sounded. After many hours of searching by hundreds of people, the small girl was found safe hidden under a tree. Alhamdulillah.

The irony, however, was that at the same time that hundreds of people rallied to save a solitary child, dozens of children were being lost in other parts of the town and not a finger was lifted to help any of them. They were lost to the drug dealers who conducted their business in community schools. They were being poisoned by the parents who were too busy to provide them with values and needed guidance. They were destroyed by the secular media who taught them that they had no personal value or dignity. Far more lives were destroyed in the streets and open spaces of my home town than were ever lost in the forests that were nearby. But the fact is that no effort was ever made to find these youngsters or to eliminate the dangers that they encountered each day of their lives

Where we live today, nothing is different. Our children are surrounded by constant dangers. As parents and adults we are duty-bound to prepare our children to face and conquer these dangers. More often than not, however, we warn of the danger that destroys the body but ignore those that poison character and deaden the soul. We respond with alarm to the small tragedy but do nothing to avert the one which is far greater.

I am reminded of the following hadith. The Prophet (saws) said: "If anyone travels on a road in search of knowledge, Allah (swt) will cause him to travel on one of the roads of Paradise." (2) Let's share that road with our children.

I will end this two pence in a khutbah with a dua'a:

"O my Lord, do not let our hearts deviate from the Truth now that we have been guided; but grant us Mercy from Your very Presence, for You are the Giver of bounties without measure."

Rabbana la tuzigh quloobanaa, ba’da ith haday tanaa, wa hablanaa milla dunka Rahma. Innaka antal Wah-haab.

Ameen


Footnotes
1) Ad-Dhuha 7-8
2) Abu-Dawud, Hadith 1631


Listen here Two pence in a khutbah - Today's Tragedy

Who's Opinion

Develop your reverence of Allah (swt) and you will diminish your fear of everyone else's opinion.

All about charity

Islam is not about
nationalism
remember צדקה.

Judaism is not about
Zionism
remember صدقه.

The Bedouin Teacher

Sheikh Abu Yusuf was teaching his students when they were disturbed by a man at the masjid door. A bedouin, hauling a cart of tools, stood in the doorway. "Need any fixing?" he cried. "Any broken tables, shakey chairs? A loose brick in the foundation, maybe?"

"No, no, no" came the impatient reply from the students within, where all were eager to return to their studies. "Everything is in perfect condition. There's no need for any repairs."

"Is that so? Nothing to repair?" called the bedouin. "That simply cannot be. Look well, and you're sure to find something that needs fixing!"

Sheikh Abu Yusuf then addressed his students: "Masha'Allah! Many times have I taught you that nothing is by chance all is the Qadar of Allah (swt); that every event and experience is purposeful, that everything one sees or hears is a lesson for one's service to Allah (swt). Think of the words we just heard from this simple bedouin. How profoundly relevant they are to each and every one of us! Is everything really in perfect condition? At times it might seem so; but if one truly searches his heart and evaluates his life, is he not sure to find something that requires repair? Alhamdulillah!"

A World of Fiction

Why do we kick ourselves so hard when we make a mistake? Because we pat ourselves so nicely on the head when we succeed. As though success and failure is all in our hands.

As Muslims we believe that it is not our talents, our intelligence, our physical appearance and our effort that brings success, that everything is in the hands of Allah (swt).

But when we walk away from our homes into the cold, real world, we leave our Iman behind for a world of fiction.

If we could spend just a moment more in fajr reflection before we went through that door, if we would let Qadar sink into our minds and our hearts, then it would be more than Iman -- it would be our mission, our attitude.

It would be more real than a pay cheque.

The Only One

In my childhood
My heart beheld
A single reality --
As my knowledge grew
I saw reality as three:
Allah, the Ummah, and Quran

Still learning
I perceived
Leaving from this dunya
The light of your truth
Leaving but two:
Myself, and As-Salaam

Searching
The depths of my nafs
And found in my life
But a glitter of your ruh
And behold:
You are Al-Ahad

Heart Polish

La ilaha il Allah,

One can polish
rust way
from anything;
the polish for
your heart
is Allah -- so sing:

Muhammad-ur-Rasool-Allah

Mubarak : To your new child

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

May Peace, Mercy, and Blessings Be Upon You.

In response to your notification that a child was born to you in an auspicious hour, may it be the will of Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala that you bring him into the Ummah of Muhammad Sallallahu alaihi wa salaam our Prophet and just as you bring him into the ummah, so may you bring him up to Tawhid, to marriage, and to acts of kindness, and may you raise him, together with your wife, may she be well, in prosperity.

With peace and mubarak,

/Signed: nuh ibn zbigniew gondek/

Are you a pecker?

Questions are nice, and show you're alive and thinking. But you're not going to get the full picture of the Quran majid by pecking like a blackcapped chickadee at a birdfeeder. The only way to comprehend what the Quran majid is saying is by a consistent schedule of study and a good teacher.

Childless widower

Enraged, he
Watched the
Checkpoint
Guards
Let them die --
Together.

Mother and child,
His wife and son.
In such a
Difficult and
Painful
Birth and death.

At that
Moment
He wished
Neither
Israel or
Palestine
Existed --
Ever.

That he could hold them.

His wife
His son
In a clean
Hospital,
Anywhere.

Gently,
In the small
Circle
Of his arms,
He felt
This, his great
Jihad.

This painful gift will never be forgotten --
By any of us.

Istighfar



Note: This poem is dedicated to the memory of the 31 Palestinian babies that have been born and then died at the Israeli wall because their mothers were denied checkpoint passage to the local hospital.

Faith - What's it all about?

Those who have faith and do righteous deeds,- they are the best of creatures. (1)

What is faith and does everyone have it?
Many people don't see faith in Allah (swt) and his Messenger (saws) as a basic human faculty; they see it more as the absence of reason. Others are even more cynical, claiming that faith in Allah (swt) is a sign of weakness, something to resort to when all else fails. In earlier times, this mindset goes, faith was a necessity because man didn't have science to help explain the laws of nature; but in the face of reason and all of man's brilliant accomplishments, we have outgrown our need for faith. Isn't faith just a creation of our imagination meant to deal with issues that we can't comprehend?

But Muslims see that people inherently believe in something greater than themselves. This feeling is inside all of us; we only need to know how to access it. But how do we cultivate faith? Isn't it something you either have or don't?

We are all born as Muslims. It is neither acquired nor taught; it is our most natural state. A young child, for instance, just has natural faith.

But as the child grows older, he accepts less and less at face value. His faith becomes obscured by reason and he realizes that his faith has been constantly abused. After years of experiencing hypocrisy and being lied to, he learns to distrust his own inner beliefs.

Abu Huraira (ra) reported Allah's Messenger (saws) as saying: The mother of every person gives him birth according to his true nature. It is subsequently his parents who make him a Jew or a Christian or a Magian. Had his parents been Muslim he would have also remained a Muslim. Every person to whom his mother gives birth has two aspects of his life; when his mother gives birth Satan strikes him. (2)

We cannot allow our reason to drown out the inner voice that tells us what we know to be true with every fiber in our being. We must learn to cultivate our natural faith.


How do we cultivate true faith?
True faith constitutes not only a belief in Allah (swt) and His Messenger (saws), but a trust that Allah (swt) always does what is just and right. True faith does not waiver, even if things do not work out as we would have liked. Yes, we may have doubts. Yes, we may feel saddened by the neediness and suffering in the world. Yes, we may want to confront Allah (swt) for allowing tragedies. But abandoning your faith in Allah (swt) means that you are compromising yourself. When we witness suffering at the hands of other people, we should direct our anger where it belongs - at man. If anything, war and oppression teach us that our faith in man can be misplaced, but never our faith in Allah (swt).

Anas ibn Malik narrated that the Prophet (saws) said: Three things are the roots of faith: to refrain from killing a person who utters, "There is no god but Allah" and not to declare him unbeliever whatever sin he commits, and not to excommunicate him from Islam for his any action; and jihad will be performed continuously since the day Allah sent me as a prophet until the day the last member of my community will fight with the Dajjal. The tyranny of any tyrant and the justice of any just ruler will not invalidate it. One must have faith in Divine decree. (3)


Is believing in Allah (swt) for the weak minded?
Many people today still have trouble believing in Allah (swt) and are plagued with questions. Is this skepticism healthy or not? Is it an honest search for the truth or a justification for self-serving behaviour?

For some, the first step in the search for faith might be to assure yourself that you are indeed ready to listen and grow, that you are willing to accept the responsibility of faith. The next step is dealing with your doubts concerning existence of Allah (swt).

Then we must allow our inner voice to speak. We know that Allah (swt) exists just as we know we have a ruh - not because we can see or touch it, but because we can feel it. We feel the effects of our ruh. We sense its hunger for meaning, its thirst for knowledge and wisdom, and we feel satisfaction when we nourish it. We feel purpose and direction when we feel Allah (swt) in our lives; we feel there is meaning in everything we do.

For a moment, stop what you are doing. Let your mind be at peace, and allow yourself to hear the small, still voice of Allah (swt). When you set yourself free, you will realize that your faith is much closer to the surface than you had imagined.

Those who believe, and work righteousness,- their Lord will guide them because of their faith: beneath them will flow rivers in gardens of bliss. (4)


Footnotes
1) 98:07
2) Muslim - Book 033, Number 6429
3) Sunan Abu Dawud - Book 14, Number 2526
4) 10:09

An Appalling Reflection

The secularism is absurd. Appallingly absurd.

To repair appalling absurdity, you can't just be normal. You need an alternative absurdity. A beautiful absurdity.

We call it, being Muslim.

A Day in Our Life

Wudu Adhan Fajr
Wudu Adhan Dhuhr
Wudu Adhan Asr
Wudu Adhan Maghrib
Wudu Adhan Isha
With a life well lived in the spaces
Allahu Akbar

Shirk

to
add or
append,
not being
single or
one
as
AL-WÂHID
is.

The Smiling Sheikh

Sheikh Abu Yusuf sent for a wealthy man who lived in his town of al-Khulaifat. When he arrived, the sheikh implored him, "There is a poor Muslim who needs assistance. I have asked all the others to give sadaqah for him. But a large sum is still needed. I have no one else to ask but you."

"Sheikh, as much as it hurts me I must refuse you -- I obey the Quran, observe Sunnah. You know that. But I will not give to any of these special causes. In fact, I wish you wouldn't even ask me in the future. That way, I won't be forced to dishonour you by turning you down."

Months later, Sheikh Abu Yusuf was visited by the brother of that wealthy man. The brother, Sheikh Abu Yusuf learned, was poor, had many children, and now needed money for the nikah of one of his daughters. Naturally, he had asked his wealthy brother for assistance. His brother had turned him down. Sheikh Abu Yusuf looked at the man a long while. Then he said, "Do not worry. I believe I know what to do."

The next day, Sheikh Abu Yusuf appeared at the wealthy brother's door. When the surprised man escorted the sheikh inside, Sheikh Abu Yusuf walked to a chair and sat down. He said nothing. Respectfully, the wealthy man stood in front of him, waiting for the sheikh to speak.

Sheikh Abu Yusuf smiled, but did not speak. After a long time, the wealthy man sat down. Even so, Sheikh Abu Yusuf remained silent.

An hour later Sheikh Abu Yusuf, still smiling, got up and left.

The next day, Sheikh Abu Yusuf appeared again at the wealthy man's door. Again, the wealthy man sat in silence for an entire hour, waiting for the smiling sheikh to speak.

The third day, Sheikh Abu Yusuf appeared once more. He sat silently for another hour, then got up to leave. As he rose, the wealthy man said, "I can't bear this, sheikh. Why do you come here and say nothing? And why do you smile the whole time?"

Sheikh Abu Yusuf settled back in his chair. "Abdullah bin Umar reported that he heard Allah's Messenger (saws) say: When Allah intends to chastise a people, He chastises all of them then they would be raised according to their deeds. (1)

"All these years, my friend, we have lived in fear of that chastisement. But have not considered the second part -- raising according to their deeds? The people in this town have been eager to hear what I want and to do what I ask. As a result, I have never had the opportunity to just watch the will of Allah (swt) work in the hearts of man. So I smile in pleasure of watching this for the first time!"

The wealthy man turned red with embarrassment. At last he said, "What is it you wish me to do?" When Sheikh Abu Yusuf told him, he gave a large sum of money for his brother.

As Sheikh Abu Yusuf left, he smiled.



Footnotes
1) Sahih Muslim, Book 40, Number 6880

An Empty Jar

The beginning of all journeys and the base of all ascents is to open yourself to receive from Allah (swt).

And how do you receive from Allah (swt)? By being empty -- because a full jar of clay cannot receive, while an empty jar of clay has a spot to be filled.

That is why we must run from downheartedness; because one who is downhearted is so filled with self-pity, there is no room left to receive anything, no opening for Allah (swt) to enter.

But a humble believer is living within Islam.

Monday, March 19, 2007

By nuh ibn
zbigniew gondek,
(un)Associated
Press Writer

[leadscoop]

SANAA, Yemen
Field teams combating
swarms of
migratory locusts that
descended upon
2,700 hectares
of farmland in western Yemen
say they have
the situation
under control.

[stop]

[secondaryscoop]

There are two types of locusts crossing Yemen: the desert locust and the migratory locust, which is most common in Yemen’s coastal areas.

[stop]

Iqra'

Meeting Al-Mumeet

One night the moon will gleam
Upon the warm brown sand,
To trace your name in a white beam,
While Al-Mumeet walks the land.

The night is coming on to greet,
You, in Ezra'il task.
Think about your last heartbeat,
And the sins you've tried to mask.

Through both triumph and struggle --
A soul in this broken land;
In times of joy and times so dull,
Just a moonbeam in the sand.

A Wonder-filled Meal

A Muslimah was married for many long years to her husband, but had not had children. Her husband was considering divorcing her, so he went to the Imam at his masjid for some advice.

The Imam told him that just as they celebrated with joy their nikkah, so should the severance of their marriage be celebrated in joy.

The husband therefore prepared a great feast, at the start of which he called his wife and asked her in his joy to choose whatever she desired of his possessions to be hers, and said that he would not refuse her anything.

What did she do? Staying by his side, she served him the wonder-filled meal. With so much good food, good drink and spirited conversation that afterward he fell fast asleep at the table. She then told her servant to take him from the table into her bedroom.

The following morning, when he awoke and found himself in his wife's room, he asked her why he was brought there - wasn't it clear that he intended to divorce her? She replied, "Didn't you tell me that I could take whatever I wanted? I desire not gold, nor silver, nor precious gems, nor pearls. All I want is you. You yourself are the sole object of my desire."

When the husband heard this, he felt great love for his wife, and took her back as before. And in this merit, Allah (swt), granted them children.

Bubble Effect

People sit nestled in a bubble removed from the world's mundane events; but also, away from it's fantastic miracles.

The bubble protects us -- if we were exposed to those miracles, we would become paralyzed with awe, incapable of life's simplest tasks.

Nevertheless, stop for a moment each day to reflect on the wonder of Allah's (swt) creation:

What sort of miracles were necessary that you should breathe today?

Sunday, March 18, 2007

By nuh ibn
zbigniew gondek,
(un)Associated
Press Writer

[leadscoop]

WASHINGTON, United States
Thousands of protesters demanding
an end to the war in Iraq marched
to the Pentagon on Saturday to mark
the fourth anniversary of the
American invasion and the 40th
anniversary of the massive 1967
protest against the Vietnam War.

[stop]

[secondaryscoop]

President George H. W. Bush Senior at the conclusion of the Persian Gulf War, with then Secretary of Defense Richard Cheney and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Colin Powell at his side, proudly proclaimed "we’d finally licked the Vietnam syndrome". Is it any wonder then that George W. Bush, refuses to recognize that Iraq increasingly resembles that traumatic Asian conflict?

[stop]

Iqra'

For whom the voice calls

Alhamdulillah.

Call to Allah alone,
for He is One, having no partners.

Call to the Sunnah
of The Prophet -- the way of al-Tawhid

He commanded the first nation,
and the last of them too.

Reject not truth that comes from Him.
Call Allah, and His angels, and his
entire creation to witness.

Ahl al-Sunnah wa l-Jama'ah

That Joy

Some Muslims are afraid of joy. They are afraid it will lead to excess and they'll lose control.

These believers haven't experienced real joy — the joy that comes from doing an act of kindness or goodness for the sake of Allah (swt), something beautiful from your heart.

The fact is, there is nothing that will lift you higher than Allah (swt). Where there is that joy, there are no pits to fall into, and all obstacles disappear.

Sajada

A child awoke to dark morning skies
And with the mighty moon,
She opened wide her big brown eyes,
And cried: "Mother it's fajr time soon!"
And clapped her pretty hands with glee:
"Quick, father! come pray with me."

A couple walked by a lillied pond
Lit by the moon's reflected charms,
And united in their holy bond,
On homeward in each others arms.
In time for Isha as light grows dim,
On their sajada she prays with him.

To righteous strugglers amid the trees
The moon's beauty is so fair.
"Oh Allah attend to our prayers please,"
Said Hamza, "for Muslims everywhere...
I will struggle on this mat, I vow --
For all these brothers with me now."

A man saw with dying eyes
The full moon so full and white,
And thought of how in other skies,
He had not noticed such profound light
He reached out, there his rug was lain;
In Islam... he closed his eyes again.

Man, women, child, husband, wife,
With the Moon, Oh, what they've seen!
I marvel now, at this sacred life,
How this sajada makes me so serene?
And how our salat will still go round,
When our generation is underground

With eternal truth profound.

Saturday, March 17, 2007

By nuh ibn
zbigniew gondek,
(un)Associated
Press Writer

[leadscoop]

KABUL, Afghanistan -
More than
1,400 artifacts
protected from looters
and the Taliban since 1999
at a museum-in-exile in Switzerland
were returned to the National
Museum of Afghanistan
on Saturday.

[stop]

[secondaryscoop]

Under Islamic home rule, western nations steal museum pieces. Under occupation, the western nations steal Islam.

[stop]

Iqra'

Thoughtless Criticism

And remove the rage of their hearts; and Allah turns mercifully to whom He pleases, and Allah is Knowing, Wise. (9.15)

People who constantly criticize others and enjoy making negative comments at every opportunity, actually reveal their own poor self-image and weakness of character. In contrast to them, there are those who delight in offering praise to others, and who never tire of pointing out the strength and virtues of those around them. In doing so, they reflect a loving heart and healthy, positive view of themselves. Instead of condemning others, they joyfully commend others, and would much rather build up than tear down.

These individuals not only refrain from negative and hurtful talk them selves, but also help to discourage unkind remarks from others. I am reminded of a wonderful man that I knew in my childhood, who refused to share in an unkind word. If someone remarked, "He's no good at cricket.", he would quickly respond, "Yes, but he always plays fair." If a critical one commented, "He isn't very bright.", he would simply add, "That May be true, but he always tries hard to do his very best." To the comment "have you noticed what a poor dresser he is?", he invariably replied, "Yes, but have you noticed that he is always so neat and clean!" It was his custom to counter every negative observation with a positive comment. In doing so, he discouraged negativity in others who quickly learned that he refused to be their audience.

What a beautiful example that man offered to us to follow!

At the heart of this matter is the question what is it to be a Muslim? From hadith we learn the following:

"I asked the Messenger of God : Who is the best Muslim? The Messenger of God replied, "He is the one from whom Muslims are safe from the evil of his tongue and hands."

Let us each resolve that we will refrain from evil speaking, being kind and tender hearted to one another. In this way, we will not contribute to the harsh and un-Islamic spirit of criticism but will try to cancel it whenever we can. Let it be said of us that rather than point a critical finger, we chose to hold out a helping hand instead.

I will end this two pence in a khutbah with a dua'a:

"O my Lord, do not let our hearts deviate from the Truth now that we have been guided; but grant us Mercy from Your very Presence, for You are the Giver of bounties without measure."

Rabbana la tuzigh quloobanaa, ba’da ith haday tanaa, wa hablanaa milla dunka Rahma. Innaka antal Wah-haab.

Ameen.


Footnote
1) 9.15
2) Muslim


Listen Here Two pence in a khutbah - Thoughtless Criticism

Takbeer

There are many kinds of walls: Both internal and external. Walls between people. Walls that prevent you from doing acts of kindness. Walls of your own mind and your own hesitations. There are the walls that exist simply because you are a limited being.

Allah (swt) breaks through all walls.

Friday, March 16, 2007

By nuh ibn
zbigniew gondek,
(un)Associated
Press Writer

[leadscoop]

JERUSALEM
Israeli leaders
criticized the
new Palestinian
unity government
Friday,
charging that
the Hamas-Fatah
coalition did
not
meet international
conditions, including
recognizing the
Jewish state's
right to
exist.

[stop]

[secondaryscoop]

Anti-Zionist Orthodox Jews held a protest against Zionist extremists outside the Iranian Mission to the United Nations in New York City.

(source: http://www.nkusa.org/)

[stop]

Iqra'

The Key, Door and Gate

Knowledge
is the
key
that opens the
door
that leads the
gate
of the hidden
straight
path

that
is

I
s
l
a
m

One Loving Ummah

Mankind was one single nation, and Allah sent Messengers with glad tidings and warnings; and with them He sent the Book in truth, to judge between people in matters wherein they differed; but the People of the Book, after the clear Signs came to them, did not differ among themselves, except through selfish contumacy. Allah by His Grace Guided the believers to the Truth, concerning that wherein they differed. For Allah guided whom He will to a path that is straight. (1)

People belong to families. Families build up communities. Communities make up the many colourful tribes of the world. And all those peoples make up a single, magnificent body called mankind.

Some divide this body into six billion individuals and then try to throw everyone into a single 'melting pot'. They want each person to do his or her own thing and relate equally to every other individual on the planet. They don't see the point of distinct peoples. They feel such distinctions just get in the way.

Mankind was but one ummah, but differed later. Had it not been for a Word that went forth before from thy Lord, their differences would have been settled between them. (2)

Muslims are like leaves extending from twigs branching out from larger twigs on branches of larger branches until we reach the trunk and roots of us all. Each of us has our place on this tree of life, each its source of nurture -- and on this the tree relies for its very survival.

None of us is ever alone. Each carries the experiences of our Ummah wherever he or she goes, along with their troubles, their pains, their victories, their hopes and their dreams. Our thoughts grow out from their thoughts, our goals shaped by their goals. At the highest summit we ever get to, there they are, holding our hand, pushing us upward, providing the shoulders on which to stand. And we share those shoulders, that consciousness, that Muslim heritage with all of our brothers and sisters in Islam.

A man once asked the Prophet: "How can I know when I do well and when I do ill?" The Prophet replied: "When you hear your neighbours say you have done well, you have done well; and when you hear them say you have done ill, you have done ill." (3)

That's why our Ummah is so important: If you want to find harmony with any other person in the world, you've got to start with your own brothers and sisters in Islam. Until then, you haven't yet found peace within your own self. And only when you've found harmony within yourself can you help us find harmony for the entire world.

Every Muslim is a brother or sister of a great family of many hundreds of years. Where a Muslim walks, there walk prophets and martyrs, believers and strugglers, the mundane and miraculous, all the way back to Ibrahim (as), the first Muslim who challenged the whole world with his ideals. Our families walk with pain, through blood and with the fear of Allah (swt), the legacy of those who lived, yearned and died for both Jannah and this dunya -- in the way it was meant to be.

Their destiny is our destiny. In us they are fulfilled. In all of us and every one of us, and all of us together. For we are all one.

Say: Lo! As for me, my Lord hath guided me unto a straight path, a right religion, the community of Ibrahim, the upright, who was no idolater. (4)

When one Muslim does an act of goodness, all our hands extend with his or hers. If one Muslim should fall, all of us stumble. If one suffers, we all feel pain. When one rejoices, we are all uplifted. In our oneness we will find our destiny and our destiny is to be one. For we are a single body, breathing with a single set of lungs, pulsating with a single heart, drawing from a single well of consciousness.

We are one Ummah. Let its guiding principle be love.


Footnotes
1)2.213
2)10:19
3)Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1288
4)6.161

Experience overflowing

Islam is an overflowing, an explosion. It enters a person's life in a way he could never be prepared and his previously tidy self erupts in comfort, action and joy.

Approach Allah (swt) with a rigid mind and there is no window for joy. Embrace Malik-al-Mulk and let joy surprise you.

Thursday, March 15, 2007

By nuh ibn
zbigniew gondek,
(un)Associated
Press Writer

[leadscoop]

SCOTLAND, United Kingdom
Muslim cricketer
Majid Haq
made his
World Cup
debut yesterday
with a
beer manufacturer`s logo
blacked out
on his strip
because of
his
strong
anti-alcohol
views.

[stop]

[secondaryscoop]

They ask you concerning alcoholic drink and gambling. Say: "In them is a great sin, and some benefit for men, but the sin of them is greater than their benefit." And they ask you what they ought to spend. Say: "That which is beyond your needs." Thus Allâh makes clear to you His Laws in order that you may give thought. (2:219)

[stop]

Iqra'

The Suffering Ummah

These are the f . r . u . i . t . s
of failed democracy.

The h . a . r . v . e . s . t
of elections in the

shadow of occupation.

A Poem in Solidarity

No toys, no breaks, no justice --
For a mother and her child

A women in a
cage.

Denied the
medicine she

needs

to be a mother to
her
prison-born
cellmate.

Her son, whose
only
crime was
being the fruit
of a Palestinian womb.

No toys, no breaks, no justice --
For a mother and her child

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

By nuh ibn
zbigniew gondek,
(un)Associated
Press Writer

[leadscoop]

BAGHDAD, Iraq
The U.S.
military spokesman
in
Iraq said
Wednesday that
all
indications showed
that radical
Shiite
cleric Muqtada
al-Sadr remained
in
Iran.

[stop]

[secondaryscoop]

Ottawa, Canada - A really big fan of Elvis Presley in Canada said Wednesday that all indications showed that radical King of haraam music remained in Tweed, Canada.

[stop]

Iqra'

Aim Higher

The light within failure is only burnt out if you return to the place from where you had your misstep.

If your efforts fail, think bigger, aim higher.

Education: The Real Meaning

O ye people! Adore your Guardian-Lord, who created you and those who came before you, that ye may have the chance to learn righteousness (1)

If there is one single factor within our control that can directly determine who we are as an Ummah, it is education. There is only one way to produce wholesome and spiritually healthy adults, people who will lead selfless and meaningful lives, and that is to educate our children.

Education is not just learning the skills to make a living; it is learning to understand life itself. Life is the recognition of Allah (swt) and the mission that Allah (swt) has charged us with - refining ourselves and making our world sacred.

Imparting information is but a small and rather simple component of education. A true education - an education for life - consists of teaching children that they have an uncompromising responsibility to Allah (swt) to live morally and ethically, which will sustain them individually and create a better world for their children and for generations to come.

It was related by Yahya that Abu Bakr ibn Abd ar-Rahman used to say, "Someone who goes to the mosque in the morning or the afternoon with no intention of going anywhere else, either to learn good or teach it, is like someone who does jihad in the way of Allah and returns with booty." (2)


How should we educate?
The question of how to educate is really the same as asking, How should we communicate? How should we do business? How should we live?

Allah! There is no god but He: and on Allah, therefore, let the Believers put their trust. (3)

The answer is always the same: through love and trust. Without love and trust, education is at best incomplete and at worst, destructive. Love and trust means sensitivity - not to your ideas and your standards, but to your student's and, most important, to Allah's (swt). Once young people grow familiar with an existence that is greater than themselves and acquire an aptitude and intellectual taste for the spiritual, they become attuned to their purpose in life. They become children who relate to their parents with respect and affection. Children who will not take property that doesn't belong to them. Children who reach out to help other people, and are generous with their time and love.


How should this generation be educated?
Because a child is impressionable, he will be impressed by whatever is around him. Today, the obstacles are greater than ever - television, crime, the lure of drugs - any of these can prevent a proper education. And after fighting through all these distractions, there is precious little time and energy left to cultivate our children's nafs. It is not enough to pat your daughter and son on the head and send them off to school; education is an around-the-clock duty. We must be as vigilant as when the child was a newborn - always on the alert, always ready to serve the child's spiritual needs.

Is it not a warning to such men to call to mind how many generations before them We destroyed, in whose haunts they now move? Verily, in this are Signs for men endued with understanding. (4)

Without the acceptance that morality is derived from Allah (swt), morality - and, therefore, education - is guided by nothing more than human whim and conscience. History has shown us that a society can be extremely well educated and yet, if not guided by Allah's (swt) precepts, it may be steeped in immorality and evil.

So a system of morally sound education is one of the primary responsibilities of our Ummah. While there must be a certain group of people whose primary responsibility is to implement education, each member of our Ummah must take an active role. For parents of young children especially, the responsibility is clear. Think how disturbed we would be to learn about a parent who had a sick child, but refused to take the child to a doctor. If that is the case for the child's body, shouldn't we feel the same concern for a child's mind, for his nafs?

And that those on whom knowledge has been bestowed may learn that the Qur'an is the Truth from thy Lord, and that they may believe therein, and their hearts may be made humbly open to it: for verily Allah is the Guide of those who believe, to the Straight Way. (5)


Footnotes
1) (2.21)
2) Malik's Muwatta: Book 9, Number 9.18.56
3) (64.13)
4) (20.128)
5) (22.54)

Untouchable

That which we can touch will change.
That which does not change cannot be touched.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

By nuh ibn
zbigniew gondek,
(un)Associated
Press Writer

[leadscoop]

GENEVA
Iran's foreign
minister accused
Israel and
the United
States of
posing the
main threats
to the
security of
the Middle
East. The
U.S. and
Israeli delegations
walked out
during the
speech Tuesday.

[stop]

[secondaryscoop]

Israel is believed to possess a substantial arsenal of nuclear weapons and maintains intermediate-range ballistic missiles to deliver them. There is also speculation that it may have chemical and biological weapons programs. (Source: Jane's)

[stop]

Iqra'

Making demands

Muslims have the right to make demands. They have the right and the obligation to demand social justice without false accusation, a birth without anguish.

Our Ummah has filled its measure of such a thousand fold.

This Glorious Walk

1

What should I do
with the white here
in the cold heart of Canada,

cyclically born and soul-numbing
like the air of the barren tundra?

And who says
like a cracked compact disc:

"t,t, that's just how it's been
here forever eh"

and doesn't explain the here forever.

Ummah, rise. unlock the door
and close it behind you



2

A different kind of believer.

As of today. don't fear salaams, don't forget
salat, or acts of goodness, don't

shut out the soul
placed in the valley of the King

that bears the heroic
fire, which split

itself from yourself.

Stand completely silent in
the greatest struggle

and if you reach out
toward small kindnesses

don't say any longer: I was caught in a trap.

"Learn your place
in the world, be not of the world"



3

A believer passes and says
a takbeer

or
two or three and
knocks
on a gate closed
within a gate

that envelopes him,
blocking his soul.

The believer sings and his Ummah sings. The man
cries, of whom does he cry?

That's the crux and
there is nothing,

the believer has everything; eyes
fill with tears on a prayer mat.

That's the pilgrim's truth that
follows the man

who told us something about
this dunya and ourselves and left

on the same path that we blindly
walked before



4

The straight path
near the Katimavik community

people of diverse shapes and colours,
there is no compulsion here.

A homosapien herd approach their
laid out table and eat

everything, even His hand
as it bountifully gives to them,

uncovered stones, open doors
the truth lay between hearts.

It's rumoured a white horse was seen
traveling from Latium through, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם to
المملكة العربية السعودية‎
along the Red Sea

to vanish in an oasis
in a flash of light.

A moment later,
The taste of the sweetness for all,
Islam.



5

And when do you think
is the right time

to exit the darkened world
and step upon truth's path?

With a single bismillah
the heart enters Islam
(a quiet tasbeeh and a silent tahmeed)

like an enfant who peacefully feeds
at the bosum of a mother

warmed both inside
and outside his body.

And a cold heart hasn't
any foundation to build upon?

The ever-moving, ever-changing ethos of
the white here
in the cold heart of Canada

and its hands and ten fingers
greedily grasping at melting snow

as if close to making a decision.



6

In these modern days,
it's time to question:

up to where in this righteous
struggle

must we struggle, between
happy and glorious,

in order to realize
we've nailed it?

What is this intangible
infinite thing that makes

everything tangible and finite --
to see, touch, taste, smell and hear

in the barren tundra?

Once again I have to ask:

What should I do
with the white here
in the cold heart of Canada?



7

So

Ummah, rise. unlock the door,
and close it behind you.

"Learn your place
in the world, but be not of the world".

The believer sings and his Ummah sings
-- a takbeer or two or three.

A moment later tastes the sweetness
that is the straight path --

greedily grasping for the elusive truth
as it slides through two hands and ten fingers

Leading to more struggle in
this happy and glorious land.

Once again to ask:
"What of this barren land?"

Monday, March 12, 2007

By nuh ibn
zbigniew gondek,
(un)Associated
Press Writer

[leadscoop]

TEHRAN, Iran
Iran on Monday issued
a bank note
with a nuclear symbol
in a move
seen as an assertion
of its national
will
in the face of
international sanctions over
its insistence on enriching
uranium.
[stop]

[secondaryscoop]

This just in...

The NWO wants a OWC

[stop]

Iqra'

You hide. We seek?

Umm Yahya came upon a weeping child in a community playground.

"Why are you crying?" she asked.

The child replied that he and a friend had been playing a game of hide and seek, but his friend had run off to find amusement elsewhere, leaving him prostrating in his hiding place, waiting fruitlessly to be searched out.

Umm Yahya lifted her eyes to the sky and cried: "Oh Allah (swt), you have hidden Yourself from us only because You want us to seek You. But Your Ummah have tired of the game and have run off."

Dua'a

There are those who are enraged with Allah (swt) for all the detestable suffering they have seen.

We cannot disagree. They have a right. Perhaps Allah (swt) will listen.

Tumble-worthy Snowflake

Another cold day:

Cold is perfect if you're a young snowflake
into free-fall floating, gliding gracefully.
But once you're too big -- tumble-worthy,
you'll be on your own without a parachute.

Then, at best, you might join a scenic park
landing on a frozen river, to see the world
in the spring melt.

Alternatively,
you may tumble on a mountain road
and be blown in a cave like Tora Bora.

Or you might land on a salted surface
and simply disappear, leaving
no evidence of your existence.

Worse though, would be the degradation
of falling in a freak snowstorm and
finding your way down the city sewer.

But there are better scenarios,
such as being gathered by the mountain mujihadeen
and purifying believers, and holy strugglers.

Or better still, to be part of
a joyous outdoor winter wudu as a family
goes to salatu'l-`idayn together.

But until Allah sets me in my place,
-- may it come speedily insha'Allah,
please keep your fires lit,
your homes warm with Allah's love and
your sidewalks and streets unsalted.

Sunday, March 11, 2007

By nuh ibn
zbigniew gondek,
(un)Associated
Press Writer

[leadscoop]

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay
President Bush
asked Congress
for
$3.2 billion
to pay for 8,200
more
U.S. troops needed
in
Afghanistan
and
Iraq
on top of the
21,500-troop buildup
he announced
in
January.

[stop]

[secondaryscoop]

Just so we have the numbers right.

That is $3200000000 more to add to the $407323872371 spent as of Sunday, March 11, 2007 at 9:16 am.

That's tonne of money!


[stop]

Iqra'

What are you doing today?

There is a time that He relates to us as As-Saboor. We can cry and tantrum and make those little messes babies make -- but He loves us and is patient, just because we are His child.

And then, inshallah, there comes a time when we have to grow up and do something.

Saturday, March 10, 2007

By nuh ibn
zbigniew gondek,
(un)Associated
Press Writer

[leadscoop]

SPIN BOLDAK, Afghanistan
Osama bin Laden,
if he's alive, celebrated his 50th
birthday on Saturday,
and his friends
in the Taliban
prayed for his long
life.

[stop]

[secondaryscoop]

"Celebrating birthdays has no source whatsoever in the pure shariah".
- Shaikh `Abdul `Aziz bin `Abdullaah bin Baaz (RH)

"The evidence in the Qur’aan and Sunnah indicates that celebrating birthdays is a kind of bid’ah."
- Shaikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid


Nice to know that the western media remembered his birthday.

I know I wouldn't have otherwise.

I wonder if there will be presents, singsongs, cake and other sundry products to enjoy?

[stop]

Iqra'

Dry your eyes

We have cried too long

Man and woman
Husband and wife
Son and daughter

We have cried too long

Believer and non Believer
Muslim and non Muslim
Muslimeen and mushrikeen

We have cried too long

Prophet and people
Sinners and saints
Dry your eyes

We have cried too long


(thanks to organic muslimah for the idea)

Age: Which one is best?

When he reached full age, and was firmly established in life, We bestowed on him wisdom and knowledge: for thus do We reward those who do good. (1)

In a recent conversation that I shared, someone confided in me that he was scared of the thought of growing old. As I thought about his comment, a part of me found it entirely reasonable that he should feel this way. The passing years, after all, do bring a decline in physical strength and endurance, as well as in the enthusiasms and idealism of youth. The fact remains, however, that older people also have advantages that the young cannot enjoy. I think that many would share in my conviction that the older years can be the most fulfilling of all.

I, for one, do not have any particular sense of fear at the thought that I am slowly growing old. In fact, I have come to revel in my years. I feel that they have enriched me. If Allah (swt) were to ask me if I would like to begin all over again, I think that in all honesty, I would experience a sense of great hesitation. I don't think that I would be willing to easily exchange the peace of mind, the measure of wisdom and maturity, the compassion and understanding, and the perspectives and priorities that I have gained from both the joyful and the sorrowful experiences of my life. I have the conviction that the years to come shall, in fact, be the best years-the sweetest and the most free of anxious care. My outward man is indeed slowly perishing, but my inward man is being made better day by day.

Let us, therefore, bear in mind that we are all growing older, no matter what our age. No matter where we are in life, let us strive to honour Allah (swt) and rejoice in all the good things that are ours. In this way, when we reach that golden plateau, we too will find it to be the best age. The Quran tells us that to the righteous old soul will be said: "O thou soul, in complete rest and satisfaction." (2)

I will end this two pence in a khutbah with a dua'a:

"O my Lord, do not let our hearts deviate from the Truth now that we have been guided; but grant us Mercy from Your very Presence, for You are the Giver of bounties without measure."

Rabbana la tuzigh quloobanaa, ba’da ith haday tanaa, wa hablanaa milla dunka Rahma. Innaka antal Wah-haab.

Ameen.

Footnotes
1) 28.14
2) 89.27


Listen Here: Two pence in a khutbah - Age: Which is best

Quran: Is it about something?

People think that the Quran is about something. That it comes to explain our world, what has happened and what will happen, where each thing belongs and what to do with it.

In a way, this is true. But ultimately, the Quran isn't about anything - everything is about the Quran. Allah (swt) is the emanated light, created a world and filled it with events, people and things, all so we would have means and metaphor to discuss His Quran.

Friday, March 9, 2007

Listen to the show >Nuh's News Commentary<




By nuh ibn
zbigniew gondek,
(un)Associated
Press Writer

[leadscoop]

BAGHDAD, Iraq
Iraq
prepared on Friday
for
a crucial regional
meeting
that will be a
rare
opportunity for officials
from
Washington and Tehran
to
sit at the same
table
at a time of
tension
over Iran's nuclear
plans.

[stop]

[secondaryscoop]

Its nice that bureaucrats could get over themselves long enough to sit at a table.

How much are they paid to do a job?

[stop]

Iqra'

Tear

Beautiful land of فلسطين‎
righteous land of פלשתינה
Holy land of Palaestina

A delight to Ibrahim's children

Land of bounty
plains of faith
a symbol of Unity

My heart breaks for you from distant shores
saddened by the shaytan in our fields,
the evil in our streets and
the sin in our hearts

If I could be there my

صلوة
תפלה
prayer

would soak your soil with tears.

The Bedouin and the Tree

A bedouin was travelling through the desert, hungry, thirsty, and tired, when he came upon an oasis. In this oasis was a tree bearing delicious fruit and giving plenty of shade, nearby ran a spring of water. He ate of the fruit, drank of the water, and rested beneath its shade.

When he was about to leave he turned to the tree and said: "Tree, oh, tree, how shall I thank you?"

"Should I thank you for your sweet fruit? Allah (swt) has made your fruit sweet."

"Should I thank you for your plentiful shade? Allah (swt) has made your shade plentiful. Of that spring of water that runs so near? Allah (swt) has given you that gift as well."

Overjoyed he sang:

"Tree, oh, tree, may it be the will of Allah that all
the trees planted from your seed be just like you."

Thursday, March 8, 2007

Listen to the show >Nuh's News Commentary<



By nuh ibn
zbigniew gondek,
(un)Associated
Press Writer

[leadscoop]

GROZNY, Russia
The first
regularly
scheduled
civilian
passenger flight
in
six years
arrived at
Chechnya's
main
airport Thursday,
in what officials
say is yet
another
sign
that normalcy
has returned
to
the war-wracked
Russian
region.

[stop]

[secondaryscoop]

Some one third to half of the 1.3 million Chechen people are said to have fled from Chechnya. It is nice to know that they can fly back to their ruined homes.

[stop]

Iqra'

A Two-Faced World

There are not two forms of matter, the physical and the nafs. Rather, to each thing there are two faces, the more corporeal and the more transcendent. Our senses and perception grasp that which is corporeal and we call it "physical." Our mind's eye is able to grasp the more transcendent - each according to his level.

Umm-al-Mu'minīn

Learned woman who
tirelessly recounted
the life of Muhammad
and his noble traditions

singing hadith lullabies

'She who lives'
lived as a scholar
through Islam's birth
mother of the path

singing hadith lullabies

Wonderful Aisha
wife of The Prophet
an example to and
mother of believers

singing hadith lullabies

Call to Action

Do we truly matter? Would the world be any different if any one of us had not been born? But we were born. Think of it: Allah (swt) performed the amazing miracle of birth just so each one of us would be here right now.

The very fact that you are here, in this place, at this time and with these opportunities available to you, means that there is something to be done - something that only you can do, something of utmost importance to Allah (swt).

Think of it. And then do it.

Wednesday, March 7th 2007

By nuh ibn
zbigniew gondek,
(un)Associated
Press Writer

[leadscoop]

RAMALLAH, West Bank
Israeli troops
raided
the Palestinian
military
headquarters
early Wednesday
and arrested
18
fugitives who
had sought
shelter
there,
Palestinian and Israeli
officials
said.

[stop]

[secondaryscoop]

Islam is not about nationalism,
remember tzedakah.

Judaism is not about Zionism,
remember sadaqah.

[stop]

Iqra'

Ever watchful

A Muslimah watches
The perfect movement of
Her children at all times,

As they breathe in Islam
So too does she --
The kingdom at her feet.

Spotless are their faces
Though unconscious of
a mother's love.

Even less aware,
That in the silence
Is the torrid river

Of this dunya; and,
A Father also watches:
Merciful, compassionate.

Al-Wadood,
Whose love will never end
Or grow tired.

Ar-Raqeeb,
Always in their midst
Ever watchful.

For every problem, He is there,
And comforts His children
Just so.

The Importance of Home and Family

The Importance of Home and Family

And Allah has made for you in your homes a place of rest (1)

Your home and family are your nest, the center of your life, the axis from which all your daily experiences extend. Both as children and adults, our home and family are where we should feel most comfortable in the world. They determine how you make your life decisions; they shape your attitudes, create awareness, develop self-esteem. A healthy home life is obviously a vital ingredient in the pursuit of a meaningful life.

Harmony at home, within a family, translates into harmony between families and communities and nations.

How do you build a healthy home?

The Prophet (saws) said: "The example of a home in which Allah is remembered and the example of a home in which Allah is not remembered, is like comparing the living and the dead." (2).

There are three key elements in building a truly Muslim home life: the relationships between family members, the atmosphere of the home itself, and the way the home is run.

When a family shares principles and values, they grow together. The home becomes a foundation for the family's shared sense of meaning while providing a platform for each member to pursue his or her own goals. In such homes, families stay up late talking about what's on their minds. Children crowd around grandparents to hear stories. Teenagers debate meaningful issues with each other and with their parents. The whole family gets together and not just for the two Eids - for evenings of nasheeds, talk, and reminiscing. The home becomes alive, a source of ruh (روح) and hope, of urgency and love. It is not the tranquility of a home that makes it peaceful; it is the life within.

The real beauty in a home is its emotional and spiritual warmth. There are many ways to beautify your home spiritually, first recognize Allah within your home. Place a box for zakat or a prayer rug in each room. Talk with your family about Allah and our responsibilities as Muslimeen. Invite guests into your home, and allow it to be used as a place of study and prayer, or to hold charitable functions or community meetings.

The Prophet (saws) said; "When Allah wills some good towards the people of a household. He introduces kindness among them" (3). He also said "Allah loves kindness and rewards it in such a way the He does not reward for harshness or for anything else." (4) A healthy home life is a vital ingredient in the pursuit of a meaningful life. Each healthy home is a macrocosm of the entire universe, helping make the entire world a home for Allah. Harmony at home, within a family, translates into harmony between families and communities and nations. When there is no harmony between people who are related by blood, how can we expect to create harmony between strangers?

After many decades of exhausting journeys, it is time for all of us to come home - to ourselves, to our families, to Allah. After the hundreds of years of civilizing this world, after the millions of spiritual seeds that human beings have planted through acts of kindness, the time has come for this world to sprout like a garden - Allah's garden, a universe filled with goodness, wisdom and knowledge.

Make your home truly beautiful by introducing spirituality into your home, welcoming guests, and talking with your family about our responsibilities as good-hearted people. Your children will grow up to remember their home as a place of warmth and kindness, where people felt comfortable to gather and talk about things that mattered to them. In all likelihood, these children will grow into adults who will create the same sort of home.

My Lord! Forgive me, and my parents, and him who enters my home as a believer, and all the believing men and women. (5)


Footnotes
1) 16:80
2) Muslim
3) Sahih al-Jaami
4) Muslim
5) 71:28

Tuesday, March 6th 2007

By nuh ibn
zbigniew gondek,
(un)Associated
Press Writer

[leadscoop]

KABUL, Afghanistan
NATO-led
troops launched
an offensive
against Taliban
militants
in
a
southern Afghan
province where
hundreds of
militant
fighters have
massed
in recent
months.

[stop]

[secondaryscoop]

Some liberated Afghan women are still wearing the burqa.

To combat this act of aggression, NATO-freedom warriors will hand out Budweiser bikini's after the spring thaw.

[stop]

Iqra'

Forgetful Streets

Streets don't remember anyone.
Aisha was shot on that street
someone just stepped on her spot.
We spent nine years raising her
now feet step where she expired.
The street doesn't remember
when she gave Daddy her last kiss.

Ugly listening

As ugly as it is to gossip about another's uglier deeds, it is even a greater crime to pay attention to such gossip.

It is hard to tell someone, "Quiet! I don't want to listen."

Sharpen your focus

Each morning, immediately upon awakening, take a moment - the first moment - to acknowledge Allah (swt) for the gift of this new day.

Say to Allah (swt):

Think: Once again, as Allah (swt) has done every morning - and indeed every moment - of your life, Allah (swt) has placed a soul within you and made your existence significant. Allah (swt) has put you on earth with a distinct and unique mission: to bring the presence of Allah (swt) into your corner of the universe.

Try to make this your first conscious thought of the day, and the first words you speak.

Train yourself to do this every morning, and your entire life will gain a new, sharper focus.

To Ponder

Allah (swt) is not understandable, but Allah (swt) ponders Himself, and that is the Quran Majid.

Monday, March 5th 2007

By nuh ibn
zbigniew gondek,
(un)Associated
Press Writer

[leadscoop]

BAGHDAD, Iraq
A suicide
car bomber
shattered a
relative lull
in Baghdad's violence
Monday
killing
at least 28
people
in a blast
that touched off
raging fires
and a blizzard
of
bloodstained paper
from a
popular book market

[stop]

[secondaryscoop]

Reading is dangerous, don't read.
Thinking is worse, we'll do that for you.

[stop]

Iqra'

Kalim Allah

Darkened by desert sun,
freed from Fir'awn's yoke,
a gift of Taurat, through
dialogue with ar-Rasheed
Musa decends from Sinai,
to an idolatrous nation.

Brokenhearted he says:
You have wronged yourselves,
by bowing before this calf, so
turn in penitence to the Lord.
Allah is the Relenting
and most Merciful.

And so in silent truth
his voice drifts in Islam
along the straight path,
to finally settle in its place,
in the Quran Majid.
God is Great, Allahu akbar

muslim, Muslim

We are more than muslims.

We are Muslims who believe. We know its power and work towards perfect Iman.

Believe, it will work.

Fleeting Beauty

A distraught Muslimah went to the Imam at her masjid. "Sheikh, I need your help," she said. "My husband has abandoned me!"

"Why did he leave you?" asked the Imam.

"He says that I'm ugly," said the Muslimah.

"And what do you say to that?" asked Imam.

"Sheikh!" cried the Muslimah. "At the nikah I was beautiful in his eyes. Suddenly I'm ugly?"

The Imam lifted his eyes to the heavens: "Mashallah! When The Prophet (saws) last spoke to us at Mount Arafat we were beautiful in the eyes of Allah (swt). So what happened? Why does his Ummah struggle so?"

Itmaam-i-hujjat

You don't learn by having Iman. You learn by doubt -- then by questioning, by challenging, by re-examining everything you've ever believed.

And yet, all this is a matter of Iman - the Iman that there is Itmaam-i-hujjat.

To truly question, you must truly have Iman.

Population Statistics

At
this moment
there
are

six billion,
five-hundred
and
two million,
eight hundred
and
sixty seven
thousand
one hundred
and
twenty-one

people
in the world

---all born Muslims

Allahu alam.

A Muslim cemetery behind the wall

In a little valley amid arid fields lies an old cemetery,
a Muslim cemetery behind the wall, hidden from view,
abandoned and forgotten. Neither the call to prayer
nor the cry of sorrow is heard there
for the dead praise not Al-Mumit.

Only the voices of Israel's children ring out, playing
in the graves and questioning
each time they find one—

Here's another goy!

There's the name of نوح, إبراهيم, داود
and a name from the last century عيسى. And here's a goy name - سارة
and there - مريم!
Look! engraved on the tombstone
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
That's funny what's it mean...

...and here's a grave on a hill concealed by a bush
that has to be brushed aside like the
animals these goyim are -- what does it say
موسى

The children wondered,
what's inside a gois name?

No Doubt

Study and probe and question everything in our Deen. But when it comes to actually doing, leave your free thinking behind. To get something done, you need Iman.

You cannot live a life based on doubts.

Overcoming Prejudice

Canada, along with the other nations of the world, has experienced throughout its history, times of turmoil as a result of prejudice. This prejudice was justified on the basis of race, gender, social class, and a host of other distinctions that make one group of people 'different' from another. Oftentimes, these prejudices were enshrined in the common laws of our country, and were enforced with shameful brutality. Many people in our history were jailed and persecuted because they dared to oppose this social evil. At the very least, whole groups of people endured social and economic discrimination simply because of who they were.

Allah (swt) through The Prophet (saws) has provided a different societal framework for humanity:

Assuredly it is thy Lord Who will gather them together: for He is perfect in Wisdom and Knowledge. (1)

The Prophet (saws) struggled in the face of the social and religious prejudices of his day. Through this struggle some clear ideas were founded. "Abu Huraira (ra) reported The Prophet (saws) was asked about the best of deeds. The Prophet (saws) observed: Belief in Allah. The inquirer said: What next? The Prophet (saws) replied: Jihad in the cause of Allah. The inquirer again said: What next? The Prophet (saws) replied: Pilgrimage accepted into the grace of the Lord." (2)

Faith, jihad, Hajj listed progressively for the establishment of justice: both social and economic for the sake of Allah (swt).

As a result of our collective belief in Allah (swt), our collective and righteous jihad for Allah (swt) and the deep spiritual unity and beauty of our annual Hajj pilgrimage. Muslims today are victims of prejustice and discrimination.

But collectively our Ummah must be undeterred in Iman by these prejudices. Our Deen has come to destroy the barriers that separate humanity. Islam follows the course of love by breaking down the walls created by shirk that separate us not only from Allah (swt), but from each other.

We need to ask ourselves — are there barriers in our hearts that keep us from reaching out to other people because of social, racial, and even religious prejudices? If so, we need the forgiveness of Allah (swt), and the wisdom and strength to begin the process of tearing them down. It was narrated by Abu Huraira (ra) that The Prophet (saws) said, "His Throne is over the water and in His Hands is the balance of Justice and He raises and lowers whomever He wills." (3)

Breaking down barriers, after all, should be one of the marks of those who follow the example of The Prophet (saws).

I will end this two pence in a khutbah with a dua'a:

"O my Lord, do not let our hearts deviate from the Truth now that we have been guided; but grant us Mercy from Your very Presence, for You are the Giver of bounties without measure."

Rabbana la tuzigh quloobanaa, ba’da ith haday tanaa, wa hablanaa milla dunka Rahma. Innaka antal Wah-haab.

Ameen.


Footnotes

1)(15.25)
2)Sahih Muslim, Book 1: Number 0148
3)Sahih Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 93, Number 508

Nafs-i-Safiyya

is like a desert highway
perfect, straight
easy and peaceful
its edges contain outward gloom;
blowing sand breaks delusion,
diamonds in the sun
spilling across the dunes,
wealth, for all who
wanderlust along in
His straight path.

The River Majid

Dikr are pleasant, but they have a tendency to evade practicalities. Like butterflies slipping through reality's net, like birds ascending in flight.

The Quran majid, however, waits above your head like a flowing river -- of endless water, milk and honey. As ethereal as it may be, it needs only a small opening to travel down and flow into your life.

No two alike

A flake of snow
in the wintery sky;
floating exactly
where it must.

Fresh Air

In the bounce of a wild hare

'spring'

that's fresh air, alive.
Jackrabbit quick, a flash of
high performance existence.
The forest in panorama.
Seeing the essence of the soul.
So agile, creator-powered, gliding
like a bird in flight minimizing the
mundane, flying to its point --
On the straight path
Sense so breathtakingly common,
'Action minus talk.'

Allahu alam

Your Modesty

Modesty is a good trait. You're far better off veiling your talents and good deeds from your our ego.

But when you come to the defense of Islam and social justice, then is a time to stand up and make yourself seen and heard. Loudly.

As for your modesty - you'll just have to put that aside for the sake of Allah (swt).