Ramadan Wishes and Quotes

Welcome Ramadan!

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Friday Reminders

Asalam Alaykum Wa Rahmatullahi
May you have a Blessed Ramadan!
Do not forget to start preparing your dua list and you can add on as you go along.

The Simple Muslimah and The Complicated Careers : Peep Before You Leap

by Nisaar Y. Nadiadwala

Amongst the most dangerous things that can happen to many girls stepping into a career zone.

She will think that she can control her self and protect herself from haraam even if she studies and works  with males, communicates with males, share jokes with males, goes to canteen and picnics with males….just because she wears a hijab and a scarf so she is safe.

There are certain careers essential for women and medical zone and teaching being one them, yet they  are not without dangers because the learning environment teaches you many other things too .. those things which you dont pay your fees for, nor it is  part of your syllabus.

It comes in the form of being ‘look cautious’, smart at jokes or responding to jokes, ettiquette of laughing , sitting, exchanging gifts and gift cards and demanding parties from class mates……A girl is exposed to the latest fashions and realises that her looks, her face, her style and the colour  of her dresses needs to be updated. Even a simple girl wants  complicated looks.

This causes a shift in her attitude towards herself specially  her Islamic way of life she has come from.

An environment that enveloped her from all the glitter of being watched and graded by males, a cloud that shaded her from all the heats of competitive looks will now seem to her like a cage depriving her freedom to fly.

Yet I say that these two are the need of of our community so some females who are firm in deen and have a strong religious background  should go ino them but with a little caution

In fields like Information Technology it is only intelligence that is needed but a grade in beauty will lift your popularity index as compared to the other girls in the class.

It continues even when she joins  a company where she is in a micro minority sorrounded by males.

Lengthy working hours to finish the tasks and late nights to fix up net work problems are important part of the job profile. She will keep on disconnecting her phone repeatedly every time her husband or children disturb her. Poor fellows only wanted to know if she is coming early and cooking food or should they order from hotel. The only thing she gets is a fat salary to buy luxuries for herself and branded expensive beauty products  designer’s dresses are  some  of them, and some time birthday cards with flowery words of love and affections for her husband and children , which come from the pens of professional writers and not from her heart.Replace IT with Engineering or CA , the rules and the rulers  of studying and working places remain same.

There are certain careers like MBA  where looks and styles are essential chapters of your syllabus. . She has to learn the art of persuading customers and please them and bargain hard for her company. If you see it from a little different angle, she is not only marketing the product or the services of her company but marketing herself in the office. Students have to give presentations to audience standing before them, looking into their eyes, without feeling shy and bashful other wise it is counted as  lack confidence.

Those natural attributes that  fetch you more marks in the book of Allah will now sit in the column of  liablities and barriers towards  prosperity.

Your shy and  modest Islamic nature, that is declared to be a part of Emaan in every book of hadith, will gradually say to you good bye..

After all an A-plus in Maths and Sceince indicates that you are intelligent in those subject only but in real life there are subjects in which are grading is done by Allah only and Haya is one of them.

Meanwhile you will still continue to wear an abhaya with  a scarf, fearless of any threat to your modesty from any side.  Any takers of my Advice?

Or as Prophet Saleh said when he looked at his dead people devasted by the wrath of Allah:

O my People! I gave you sincere advice but Alas! You do not  love  sincere advisors…..

Surah al-Ar’af ch 7,verse 79

Auhtor: Nisaar Nadiadwala speaksn write on socio-educational issues from Islamic perspective. he can be reached at nisaar_yusuf@yahoo.com

Allah(swt)!

Allah(swt) Is...

When you are the neediest, Allah(swt) is the most sufficient.

When you are completely helpless, He is the most helpful.

When you feel totally dependent, He is absolutely dependable.

When you are the weakest, He is the most able.

When you are the most alone, He is intimately present.

When you feel you are the least, He is the greatest!

When you feel the most useless, He is preparing you.

When it is darkest, He is the only Light you need.

When you feel the least secure, He is your Rock and Fortress.

When you are the most humble, He is most gracious.

When you say that you Cannot, remember that He can!

For the "Happiness seekers"

Crumbled sheet...

Received via email-Author Unknown

When I was a child, because of my impulsive character, I was angry at everything. In most cases, after these incidents I felt ashamed and I tried to console those I have hurt 

One day, my teacher saw me apologizing after an explosion of anger and handed me a sheet of plain paper and said: 

Knead the paper now!

With fear, obeyed and did a ball with it. The teacher told me again, to now leave it as it was before. 

Obviously I could not leave it as before.  The paper was still full of folds. 

The teacher told me: "The hearts of men are like that roll". The impression left on them will be  hard to erase just as it is hard to erase these wrinkles . So I learned to be comprehensive, and more patient. 

When I feel like bursting, I remember that crumpled paper. The impression left on people is impossible to erase. When we hurt someone with our actions or our words, we just want to fix the error, but it's too late .... 

Someone once told me : "Speak only when their words can be as gentle as silence."

We will always be responsible for our actions.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Seize the day to reflect on the leaves you've kneaded  throughout this life ... 

A Ramadan guide for single Muslims

Asalam Alaykum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu

By Sound Vision Staff writer

For most Muslims, Ramadan is family time. You get up together, eat Iftar together, pray together, etc. But what if you don’t have your family near you?

Waking up in a lonely apartment and eating food you’ve sometimes burnt in an effort to catch Suhur in time are some of the realities of being a single Muslim in Ramadan. But there are ways to make Ramadan special when you’re on your own. Here are a couple of ideas. Please feel free to post yours at the bottom of this article.

1. Establish a Suhur telephone tree

Get a couple of friends together and establish a telephone tree to wake each other up for Suhur. Establish a time to call and a schedule of who will call whom. Make it a little exciting by adding some funny phrases every week that will really wake everyone up (e.g. “ASSALAMU ALIAKUM” This is the Suhur Sister/Bellowing Brother calling. Rise and shine y’all for some morning grubÓ).

2. Invite people over for Iftar

Even if even you couldn’t eat the food  the last time you cooked, invite people over for Iftar. Make it a potluck, order pizza or if you can afford it, get it catered. The food isn’t the thing. The blessing is in the company, and you’ll be rewarded for feeding everyone. Make sure to especially invite those who are away from their families.

3. Attend prayers at the local mosque

Even if the Imam’s recitation isn’t the best and the behavior of other Muslims can be more than annoying, try to attend Tarawih prayers organized by your local mosque or your Muslim Students’ Association (MSA). While praying alone in peace and quiet is great, praying shoulder-to-shoulder with other Muslims with whom you have nothing in common except your faith is a unique and uplifting experience.

4. Get involved in community programs

It may seem hard to squeeze in time for anything else in Ramadan, but try, at least once, to do some volunteer work. Cook a meal for those who attend the MSA Iftar; volunteer for a day at a soup kitchen; help make or distribute flyers for a Ramadan program; make Ramadan Mubarak loot bags of candy for the kids at your local mosque. The possibilities are numerous. The point is to give to others so you can get back what’s priceless.

5. Keep the Quran playing when you are alone at home

It’s often tempting to keep the TV or radio on when we’re alone at home to avoid the silence. This Ramadan, find a CD or cassette of a Quran reciter you like and play it during those moments when you want to fill your place with some sound. Choose selections you’d like to memorize, like the 30^th part of the Quran.

6. Eat properly- don’t resort to burnt toast and egg

Not eating Suhur and Iftar properly will make you crabby, irritated and sick (as opposed to healthy, wealthy and wise). Establish a personal Ramadan meal plan. Choose healthy, easy-to-make recipes so you’re not scrambling at the last minute for something to eat.

7. Keep in touch with family and friends back home

Send Ramadan e-cards, thoughts, reflections, questions, etc. via phone or email to family and friends. Keep in contact at least once a week and share three Ramadan-related things you’ve done in the last ten days of Ramadan.

8. Take care of others

Know a new person at the school/office? Is a friend who lives nearby having problems with their spouse? Or is someone you know having money problems? This Ramadan, reach out with an attentive ear, a generous hand, and most importantly, an open heart to others. Don’t let these small opportunities for gaining blessings slip you by.

9. Decorate your crib

Add some festivity to your spare surroundings by dressing the place up with a Ramadan banner, balloons and streamers. Even after a rough day, coming home to a decorated home is a boost to the spirits.

10. Pick and pursue Ramadan goals

Choose at least three goals to pursue this Ramadan. Whether it’s curbing a bad habit or starting a good one, doing this will help you focus and work harder this month to change for the better. It takes 21 days to establish a good habit. With Ramadan, we’ve got 30. Why not make the best of it by picking up the good?

Daughters, a matter of pride

Bringing up children with proper care is the primary duty of Muslim parents. Parents should not distinguish in a discriminatory manner between their male and female children when bringing them up. However, the fact remains that girls in many Muslim communities are the victims of their parents’ bias against them.

If parents have any right to be biased, it should be in favor of girls. Almighty Allah mentioned girls first before mentioning boys while referring to His sovereign control over the universe and creation of human beings in the chapter Al-Shura (Poets).

“To God belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. He creates what He wills (and plans). He bestows female (offspring) upon whom He wills, and bestows male (offspring) upon whom He wills. Or He bestows both males and females, and He leaves barren whom He wills: for He is full of Knowledge and Power.” (Verses 49 & 50)

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), has clearly demonstrated that a girl is not a matter of humiliation to a family. On the other hand, she is a matter of pride. A man who brings up his daughters in a proper way will be among those who have the honor of standing close to the Prophet (pbuh) on the Day of Judgment.

“Anas bin Malik reported Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying, ‘He, who brought up two girls properly till they grew up, he and I would come (together) (very closely) on the Day of Resurrection, and he interlaced his fingers (for explaining the point of nearness between him and that person).’” (Al-Bukhari)

And

In spite of such clear texts, a considerable section of Muslims in many parts of the world believe that spending money on the proper upbringing of girls, including educating them, is a waste of money.

It is also unfortunate to note that mothers in many Muslim societies, apart from aborting a female fetus, are reluctant to feed their girls properly. On the contrary, the parents struggle hard to feed their boys. Parents are also not keen to take sick girls to hospitals as they do with their sons. But this kind of discrimination between boys and girls is a gross injustice and a violation of the teachings of Islam.

In an incident narrated by Mother of Believers Ayesha (may Allah be pleased with her) the spiritual benefits of feeding and taking care of girl children are unequivocally clear.

“Ayesha reported: A poor woman came to me along with her two daughters. I gave her three dates. She gave a date to each of them and then she took up one date and brought that to her mouth in order to eat that, but her daughters expressed a desire to eat it. She then divided the date that she intended to eat between them. This action of the woman impressed me and I mentioned what she did to Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him). Thereupon he said: Verily Allah has assured Paradise for her, because of (this act) of her, or He has rescued her from hellfire.” (Al-Bukhari)

This Hadith shows how important girls are to parents, particularly as a means to escape the hellfire.

The sayings of the Prophet should be the only guideline for any Muslim community in any part of the world. There is no justification for any Muslim community to be influenced by any other cultural sentiments that drive people to neglect and abuse girls.

In fact the model for the relationship between a father and daughter should be the sayings of the Prophet (pbuh).

The Prophet (pbuh) said: “Fatima is a part of me, so whoever angers her angers me.” (Al-Bukhari & Muslim)

Media reports such as girls being married off and then tortured by their husbands and in-laws at tender age or young girls being discriminated against by parents show a growing tendency of girls’ abuse prevalent in some Muslim countries.

Source: Arab News