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In the Spotlight: Tools 4 Change
by Ryan Allan Fournier
For some, August 21st was a day when they shielded away from the outdoors to escape the unbearable conditions of heat and humidity. A day that would seem dreadful to some in terms of carrying out sports and casual activities. However, for ten individuals it was in fact a day of hard work and an opportunity to give back to the community. (More)
Maximize the last 10 days of Ramadan
by Abdul Malik Mujahid
Laylatul Qadr (the Night of Power) is described in the Quran as, "better than a thousand months" (97:3). Any action done on this night such as reciting the Quran, remembering Allah, etc. is better than acting for one thousand months which do not contain the night of Qadr. (More)
Crying Like A Baby:
When was the last time you cried like a baby?
We can't afford not to be crying in front of Allah, the Merciful, All-Aware.
Tears flow when we remember how much Allah has blessed us with and how much we disobey Him. We can never repay Allah for everything we have, yet we still blatantly commit sins both big and small: whether it's backbiting, hurting other human beings, not standing up for the truth, treating our family badly, lying, doing good deeds to show off, cheating, etc.
Abdullah ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said he would rather shed two tears from the fear of Allah than give a thousand dinars in charity.
And the most telling example of a man who few would think would cry because of Allah is Umar, may Allah be pleased with him. He was known for being strong, fearless, and uncompromising when it came to matters of faith. Yet, Abdullah ibn Isa said that Umar had two black streaks on his face because of constant weeping.
He feared Allah so much that he once said, "If someone announced from the heavens that everybody will enter Paradise except one person, I would fear that that person would be me."
Umar was one of the strongest believers. Yet he cried and feared Allah. And Abu Bakr, he was simply known for his crying. These people loved to serve human beings in the day and spent time begging God to save humanity at night. May Allah be pleased with them.
Let's be more contemplative and pray for an awareness of and forgiveness for our sins, as well as softness in our hearts. If Umar the brave and pious did it, we have even more need and urgency to do it.
Source:
"Crying in Front of Allah - It's not impossible" - Abdul Malik Mujahid.
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MAC Youth Learn welcomes you to the 7th issue of our monthly e-newsletter; Sha'ban & Ramadan. Reflect, learn and enjoy!!
Book Review:
Commentary on the Forty Hadith of Al-Nawai
by Samar Javid
In the 3 volumes, Jamaal Zarabozo examines each of an-Nawawi's 40 hadith in-depth. The essence of hadith comes out when the author explains the hadith in great detail and depth, approximately 80 pages for 1 hadith. Every phrase of the hadith is studied linguistically, logically, jurisprudentially, legally, etc. The author brings to light all that the old and new scholars had said on matters related to the hadith and also the lessons deduced from it. He adds his own discussion and evaluation as well.
Jamaal al-Din M.Zarabozo born 1960 is a Spanish parented, French-born, and American based scholar, lecturer, and author of numerous books on Islam and speaker of many lectures on Islam. He converted to Islam in 1976 at the age 16. He has a bachelors degree in economics from the university of California at Berkeley, and a masters in economics from the university of California. He left his PHD studies to pursue Islamic studies, since then he has been active mostly in writing.
Hadith:
The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said,
"Do not be envious of one another; do not artificially raise prices against one another; do not hate one another; do not turn one’s back on each other; and do not undercut one another in business transactions. And be, [O] servants of Allah, brethren. A muslim is the brother of a muslim. He does not wrong him. He does not fail him [when he needs him]. He does not lie to him. And he does not show contempt for him. Piety is here” – and he pointed to his chest three times. “It is enough of evil for a person to hold his brother Muslim in contempt. All of a muslim is inviolable to another Muslim: his blood, his wealth and his honor."
[reported by Muslim]
Quranic Verse:
Do you think that We created you in vain, and that you would
not be returning to Us?
-- [23:115]
Comments: What's your purpose in life? We know the 'right' answer, but for what purpose are we spending our days and hours? Renew your intentions now, renew your purpose in life, and move towards it, today and everyday, until you return to your Creator.
-- Taken from notes by Sheikh Muhammad AlShareef.
Archives:
Dhul Qe'da 1428
Dhul Hejja 1428
Muharram 1429
Safar and RabiUlAwwal 1429
Rabi Al-Thany & Jamada Al-Awwal 1429
Jamada Al-thani & Rajab 1429
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