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A Email From a sister Strugging with Hijab!

October 24th, 2012
by Sufia

 A Email From a sister Strugging with Hijab!

Bismillah

As-Salaamu A3alakum,

Below is an email I recieved from a sister struggling with Hijab living in the west. She has asked me to post this on my social networking pages such as Twitter (@Zahraalawi) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/zalalawi) to spread awareness on the struggles some sisters face. Do you think our communities are doing enough to support and aid sisters struggling with Hijab? What leads sisters to feeling conscious of their apparance in Hijab? Ive copied and pasted the email below.

With Salaams and Duas

Zahra Al-Alawi

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Forwarded Email:

Dear Zahra Al-Alawi

I have thought long and hard about sending you this message and only until yesterday i decided to sit down and write you this letter after i saw that you will be lecturing at Aston university on the topic of hajab and seeing the girls letter you posted who got attacked in Canada for her hajab. You may ask why im writing this letter to you? The reason im writing this letter to you is because i have seen your lectures and tv shows on hajab and i have seen the large followship you have on facebook and twitter and i want to get this letter out to as many people as possible. I have no way of portraying my feelings and emotions and this seems like the perfect way to do this. All i want from you Zahra is to post this on your twitter and facebook page, I want people to know what im going threw and to know there are many other girls who are going threw the same. I dont know what the answer is but i just want people to know. I hope you find the time to read this letter and post it as i have messaged you before and have received no reply.

To whoever is reading this and to the general public. I am a girl living in London struggling with hajab,  and recently i entered a illegitimate relationship with a guy which i have no idea where it will lead to. My reputation is ruined to the extent that i dont know if i will ever get married. My confidence and self esteem is so low that makeup, fashionable clothes, attention from men and being loud and bubbly is the only way to hide the hurt i am feeling inside. I am one of hundreds of girls who are currently struggling with hajab in London. I am about to tell you how i reached this stage in the hope that someone will find a solution to prevent other girls in falling in this pit hole which im currently in. It started when I was 16 and has carried on to this day, i constantly felt that i was in competition with other girls. I didnt feel attractive in my hajab and was jealous of the other girls who were receiving attention from the boys at school. In desperation i started wearing makeup, wore revealing clothing to show off my figure, began to diet and began to act like the other girls. I even started smoking just so i got more attention. Unknowingly this led me to get negative attention and the attention from men which will lead to my reputation getting ruined. My parents noticed the change in me and tried so hard to change me, but i constantly felt pressured and misunderstood. Suddenly all the “religious” girls started abandoning me and looking down on me. I started to rebel even more as i already felt like a outcast. Thats when i started entering relationships with guys (to feel the love and attention which my parents and the community were neglecting me on). Alot of things have happened in the past years which have outcasted me more. Now it seems all the shoes, handbags, makeup and nice clothes is all which makes me feel worthy or satisfied. I know what i am doing is incorrect but its the lack of confidence which leads me to this. I just want everyone to know “we” girls are not bad, and if the community look away from us we will fall into more sin in desperation. We need positive motivation and advice without feeling pressured or feeling lower than the rest. We need to be welcomed into the community and made feel apart of it. I have watched your shows on Ahlulbayt TV and the other shows and it has helped my confidence alot. I see you and others so happy and confident in hajab and think to myself why cant i be that happy and confident in mine. I dont think i knew why i wore a hajab until recently. I want to change my life round and i too want to get married and be respected rather than classed as one of the “bad girls”. I wish the community does something to change this because i can tell you there are so many girls and boys in illegitimate relationships and are falling into a sinful trap without having any support or guidance. It has taken alot of courage to write this message without revealing too much of my life to expose my identity. I just wanted to share my feelings in hope that more help and support will be given from our communities or something is organised to help us feel confident in our hajab without the c–p we hide behind.

Original Post

The Second Day of Hajj: Yawmu-Arafah

October 24th, 2012
by Sufia

The Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “ الحج عرفة “ or “Hajj is Arafah“. The Arabic text implies a very important concept of the meaning of Hajj. This short statement means that the whole hajj and its validity is confined in the actual day of Arafah i.e. Hajj becomes valid only when the day of Arafah is observed and witnessed by those who undertake the journey, the pilgrims. Regardless how long the hujjaj stay in Makkah, if they missed that single day, they have then missed the whole Hajj.

 The Second Day of Hajj: Yawmu Arafah

The name Arafah عَرَفَة was mentioned in many ahadith such as hadith of the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam): “ الحج عرفة “ or Hajj is Arafah (reported by Imam Ahmad and the four sunan). The name Arafat was mentioned in Surah al-Baqara 2:198

لَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ أَنْ تَبْتَغُوا فَضْلًا مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ ۚ فَإِذَا أَفَضْتُمْ مِنْ عَرَفَاتٍ فَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ عِنْدَ الْمَشْعَرِ الْحَرَامِ ۖ وَاذْكُرُوهُ كَمَا هَدَاكُمْ وَإِنْ كُنْتُمْ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ لَمِنَ الضَّالِّينَ

“It is no crime in you if ye seek of the bounty of your Lord (during pilgrimage). Then when ye pour down from (Mount) Arafaat, celebrate the praises of Allah at the Sacred Monument, and celebrate His praises as He has directed you, even though, before this, ye went astray”

There are different interpretations on why that day was called Arafah or Arafaat, none of these opinions was authenticated by a solid textual evidence that can be traced to the Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam). Nevertheless, the scholars of the past recorded them in their books as akhbar or stories of the past and therefore I quote for you few of these opinions here:

1. Arafah was the place were Adam and Eve met once again when they were sent down to reside on earth. They came down on two different spots but eventually were able to meet and recognize each other on this plain. Arafah here means “to get acquainted”, so based on this opinion Adam and Eve got acquainted to each other on that very same land we call today Arafah.

2. When angel Jibreel came down to Prophet Ibrahim (alayhis salam), he taught him the rituals of Hajj and took him around the Holy Sites. For every ritual explained Jibreel would say to Ibrahim “A’raft?” or “Did you learn (this one)?” and Ibrahim would reply with “Araft” or “I did”. Thats why it was called Arafah i.e. he got to know or learn.

3. It is a place where people get to know “ عرف or arafa” each other. Since the hujjaj or pilgrims spend most of that day on the same place and perhaps spot, many will get to know new people and learn more about them. So it is a place of تعارف or getting to know one another, and because of the great number of people who get to know each other the word عرفات or Arafaat came about.

4. The word عَرْف or A’rf means fragrance, and because the plains of Arafah are sites on which Allah’s mercy (rahmah) and forgiveness descend, the people would describe the day, the place and its dwellers of being perfumed with this spiritual and mystical fragrance “Arafah”. Moreover because of the rahmah or mercy descending upon the gathering, the small mountain on the plain on which many hujjaj desire to stand was called the mountain of Rahmah “Mercy”.

Despite the difference of opinion on why the day was called so, no scholar would argue the importance and significance of Arafah for the hajj and hujjaj.

In a previous post we mentioned some of the virtues of this blessed day, and now we mention the actual practices on Hajj needed done on this day.

1. On that day most of the pilgrims will still be in Mina. They pray Fajr in their camps inMina, and after sunrise they start their final preparation for the journey ahead.

2. Marching or riding to Arafah is not supposed to be that far from Mina, but the crowd and traffic jams make it seem like hundreds of miles.

3. As they all march and head to Arafah, their chanting will be continuously Talbiyah “lab-bayka Allahuma lab-bayk, lab-bayka laa sharika laka lab-bayk, in-nal hamda wan-ni’mata laka wal Mulk, laa sharika lak”. “Here I am in Your service, O Allah, here I am. Here I am, You have no partner, here I am. Verily all praise and blessings are Yours, and all sovereignty, You have no partner.” [Muslim] This chanting definitely symbolizes the purpose of this whole journey, that is to serve Allah and worship Him and Him alone.

4. Once the pilgrims reach Arafah, they take their places in their pre-assigned camps and wait until the call for the prayer is announced.

The Messenger of Allah, upon his arrival to Arafah, camped outside the plains of Arafahprior to the time of Dhuhr in the location where the Masjid of Namira is now built, once called Wadi ‘Urana.

Unlike the back part of the masjid today, the front part of the masjid is actually outside the boundaries of Arafah where the Messenger had delivered his khutbah or sermon. When he finished delivering the sermon, the Messenger (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) lead the hajj congregation in combined prayer between Dhuhr and Asr, then he moved inside the plains of Arafah until the end of the day.

5. When the time for prayer approaches, the khateeb or Imam who delivers the sermon stands to remind the congregation who gathered in Masjid Namira and the surrounding areas with what is known as the sermon of Arafah. The adhan or call for the prayer is then announced, the Imam then leads the congrgation in Dhuhr and Asr prayer combined and shortened, each performed in units of two rak’ah with one adhan and two Iqamas.

6. The sermon will be broadcasted live on many national and international media outlets. One mistake many pilgrims fall into, is that they follow the Imam in salat or prayer even if they were staying in their own camps miles away from masjid Namira where the prayer is held. Instead every camp should have their own congregational prayer but without the need for an extra khutbah or sermon.

7.Once the prayer is done, the hujjaj move back to their camps, seeking shelter from the scorching sun of Arabia. They have to stay within the boundaries of Arafah which are marked by huge yellow billboards all around. The hujjaj are obligated to stay in Arafah until pass sunset. Anyone who fails staying there risks invalidating his entire Hajj.

8. People spend the rest of the day in active devotion performing many acts of worship. It is recommended for the pilgrims to engage in constant dhikr and remembrance of Allah. The best dhikr for the hujjaj will still be the Talbiyah aforementioned. They can read the Qur’an, supplicate and invoke Allah for mercy and forgiveness too if they will.

9. Even though fasting the day of Arafah is so virtuous, it is still not recommended for the pilgrims to fast. The practice of the Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) was not to fast on the day of Arafa while performing Hajj. [Bukhari and Muslim]

It is important for the hujjaj to save their energy for the most important day of the Hajj.

10. After Asr time, the plains of Arafah transforms into a completely different sight. Hundreds of thousands of people are now realizing the imminence of the end of this blessed day and hence engage in a passionate and vigorous du’a and festivity of praise and supplication.

People will be standing or sitting everywhere, on the side of the road, on the mountain of Rahmah and on the top of their cars and buses raising their hands and voices with dua and shedding tears and worries in a hope that they will be forgiven all their sins.

There is no day better in the sight of Allah than the Day of Arafah. On this day Allah descends to the nearest heaven in a manner that suits His Majesty, and He is proud of His slaves on the earth and says to those in heaven, “Look at My servants. They have come from far and near, with hair disheveled and faces covered with dust, to seek My mercy, even though they have not seen My chastisement. Far more people are freed from the Hellfire on the Day of Arafah than on any other day.” (Abu Ya’la, Ibn Khzayma, al-Bazzar and Ibn Hibban)

Abu Ad-Darda reported that the Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “On no other day does the Satan feel so belittled, humiliated, and angry as he does on the Day of Arafah.” The reason for this is the mercy of Allah that descends this day and the forgiveness that He grants to people for major sins, except the day of the battle of Badr, which witnessed a far greater mercy of Allah descending upon people, which caused great sadness to Satan.

11.Once the day comes to an end, and right at sunset the hujjaj start heading back towards Mina. On their way to Mina there will be one stop for the night, the plains ofMuzdalifah. Whether they go riding or walking the hujjaj have to stop in Muzdalifah to prayMaghrib and Isha combined, where Maghrib is done in full three rak’ah and Isha is shortened into two.

12. It is the sunnah of the Prophet and therefore for the hujjaj to spend the entire night in Muzdalifah resting, and hence the best act of worship on Muzdalifah is to go to sleep. The hujjaj needs to get some rest after a long day of worship and they also need to prepare well for a longer day of various acts of worship, the day of Nahr “the day of Eid”.

13. It is permissible for people of legitimate excuses to leave the plains of Muzdalifah after half of the night had passed, in order to avoid being caught in the crowd and the heavy traffic. The elderly men and women, the sick, the disabled and those who work to serve the hujjaj are permitted to leave earlier and continue with the rituals of Hajj before the great crowd arrives.

14. At Fajr time a new day would arrive and the journey continues on the 10th day of dhul hijjah, the Eid day.

MAY ALLAH GIVE EVERY MUSLIM A CHANCE TO DO HAJJ,AMEEN.

Countdown to the FIRST AlMaghrib class in Dubai!

October 24th, 2012
by Sufia

‘All humans are dead except those who have knowledge…’

AlMaghrib is yet again zooming over to another city! After having spread to several countries in the West, AlMaghrib is rapidly moving over to the East capturing the attention and interest of many more students as Dubai eagerly awaits its first ever AlMaghrib seminar.

AlMaghrib Institute 83909 630x298 480x298 Countdown to the FIRST AlMaghrib class in Dubai!

Dubai will be hosting its very first AlMaghrib double-weekend seminar taught by none other than the founder of AlMaghrib himself, Shaykh Muhammad Alshareef. He will be teaching The Shepherd’s Path, a seerah course that he last taught at Calgary, which was one of the most successful courses that city ever had. This course will enable students to spend two weekends of their life with the man who changed the world, the mercy to mankind…and what a mind blowing experience that will be! We have all heard the stories and studied the events, but attendees of this course will be able to LIVE the events and experience the roller coaster of emotions and challenges Rasoolullah (SAW) faced.

AlMaghrib has been of immense benefit to people of cities before and it is now going to work its magic in a new city where people have been eager to seize this unique opportunity. Residents and students in Dubai are very enthusiastic to make this seminar a huge success and to take utmost advantage of the blessing of knowledge having arrived at their doorstep. The seminar will begin on the 20th September at Dar Al Ber Society building where the angels will descend, envelop and make du’a for the blessed gathering of the remembrance of Allah and His Messenger (SAW).

Source: AlMaghrib

Muslim, girl, fashion, hijab

October 15th, 2012
by uLhaq

 Muslim, girl, fashion, hijabhijabonmyhead.tumblr.com
 

 Muslim, girl, fashion, hijabwww.flickr.com
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 Muslim, girl, fashion, hijabwww.flickr.com

 

 Muslim, girl, fashion, hijabwww.flickr.com
 Muslim, girl, fashion, hijabwww.flickr.com

 

 Muslim, girl, fashion, hijabwww.flickr.com
 Muslim, girl, fashion, hijabwww.flickr.com
 Muslim, girl, fashion, hijabwww.flickr.com
 Muslim, girl, fashion, hijabtumblr

 

 Muslim, girl, fashion, hijabtumblr

Difference between Information and Disinformation in the Light of Islamic Preaching

October 10th, 2012
by Sufia

Disinformation is widespread and has become the topic of the people’s meetings to express their misgivings, jealousy and anger. Those who are indulging in disinformation campaign are oblivious about the fact as they are merely harming themselves. Because on the Resurrection day both wronged and wrongdoer will stand in front of God who will reward his good deeds to the person against whom he dispersed disinformation. Many times we have some information about our business dealings. It is permitted to us to deliver the information to the concerned person. But it is not permitted to hide some important information from that person and include something on your own, this comes under disinformation.

islamic studies information Difference between Information and Disinformation in the Light of Islamic Preaching

Islam teaches that if the people are being involved in dispersing disinformation in your presence, you ought to defend it. If you neglect the same you will deprive yourself from mercy and help of God. Islam grants the freedom for the expression but with some restrictions and limitations for the purpose of safety and dignity of the individuals. Everyone can enjoy this freedom but within the limit of true information and disallowed the disinformation where this freedom becomes exploitation. The purpose of these limitations and checks is to secure the human freedom but not to deprive him of his rights. For the prevention of exploitation of human, such limits on the freedom of individuals have been placed to eradicate the elements that cause uncertainties and insecurities among the people.

Generally, you should have to follow the determinations and decisions of the Holy prophet (PBUH) who delivered the great message for humanity to not to believe or follow the things except those that are revealed to you. Disinformation is the evil process of today’s modern world that is exercised by the followers of Iblees or satin through which they take advantage for their wrongdoings.

Many anti Islamic groups have been running the disinformation campaign with the name of information for the sake of their revenges. The need is existed to clarify these disinformation campaigns by presenting the facts. The facts that are written in Holy Quran but it is necessary for you to take full information about Islam. In Islam all human beings have equal social rights and no one is superior to another on the basis of background, status, profession or cast. Superiority only deserves to those who are better in character and aptitude. These teachings of Islam clearly indicate that there is no permission for anyone to disperse disinformation in the name of information about anyone who is deprived in status. These fundamental teachings of Islam are now the basis of the modern world human rights criteria and deal with the law named as the law of defamation.

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