“Remember, remember the 5th November”

by Br. Khalid

For those in the UK, the above will be the instantly recognisable refrain associated with Guy Fawkes Night and the famous Gunpowder Plot.

Legend has it that Mr Fawkes and his conspirators were disenchanted with the then King, James I, and hatched a plot to kill him at the state opening of parliament.

By sheer luck, the police got wind of the plan and caught the entire gang in the basement of the House of Commons moments before they were about to light the numerous kegs of gunpowder they had dragged down there.

So pleased was James I with the foiling of the assassination, that he instigated a day of thanksgiving on November 5th (the day of the capture) and the rest, as they say, is history.

Besides reminding us that terrorism was alive and well in the 17th century, it seems odd that the day is  more remembered for Guy Fawkes than James I and like, Christmas, is nowadays just an excuse for family get togethers and celebrations (fireworks, bonfires etc) rather than having any real significant meaning.

It so happened that whilst I was pondering this quaint English tradition that I chanced over an interview with a certain Simon Cowell.

Mr Cowell for the uninitiated is the self styled music mogul of a generation and the man responsible for the X Factor.

Talking about the sudden demise of his father in the late 90s, he made these interesting comments:

“It was a horrible, horrible, horrible time, like I said. You believe everyone is going to live for ever and they don’t. And all the stuff you think you care about, the hit records and stuff like that, it’s just meaningless.”

“I can’t admit things, that’s why I can’t go to funerals and stuff like that. I find it very, very difficult to deal with that kind of reality. I shut myself off totally because it affects me so badly.”

It is said that there are four types of people when it comes to attitudes towards death and the afterlife.

1. The first group are so engrossed with this life and worldly pleasures that they simply deny it’s existence, since remembrance thereof will fill them with sorrow at that which they have to forsake.
2. The second group fear death because their repentance is, as yet, incomplete and wish for more time to rectify their affairs.
3. The third love their Lord and are pleased with (and yearn for) the means by which they are reunited with their beloved.
4. The fourth and last group, are those who are perfectly reconciled and content with Allah’s will such that they care not for themselves whether they live or die and happily resign themselves to the decision of their Lord.

It is always astounding how discussing death can be like the huge elephant in the room amongst non Muslims (as well as some Muslims) especially since everyone recognises it as a “reality” but still continue to deny it.

It is like that email which is  too hard to deal with or an assignment too complicated and wearisome that one would rather bury it and not have to deal with it in the hope that it will magically disappear.

It is indeed the height of folly that people strive with the utmost effort to chase their ‘dreams’ whilst completely ignoring the ‘reality’ before them.

Of course, Islam gives great counsel on the remembrance and contemplation of death and our Prophet exhorted us to do so often so that we would not be beguiled by this world and it’s charms.

With that in mind and with Halloween fast approaching, perhaps we should all be donning Grim Reaper costumes and go around chanting:

Remember, remember the shatterer of all pleasure

Not quite as catchy as the original ditty I grant you, but far far more relevant!!

This is a guest crosspost by Br. Gengis of Muslimgamer.com Check out his website it’s very cool!

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Salamualeykum and Ramadan Mubarak!

I was thinking about my next post and as going to put a story up about some tech stuff and I decided that with Ramadan 2011 here I would instead post about my Hajj Pilgrimage last year. I am hoping that it will be an interesting post for both the Muslims and Non-Muslims that might visit the site. Having spent a month between Mecca and Medina, I might split this post up over a couple posts so it doesn’t become too long. Also I won’t be going into every detail of the trip, think of this more as a 1 month Hajj trip packed into 10 minutes InshaAllah.

So Hajj, the pilgrimage that must be completed by every Muslim once in their life (as long as they can afford to do it). You hear from so many people about how special it is, how amazing it is and how it can change ones life once completed. In all honesty, it turned out to be so much more than I could have imagined. The saying goes,

“You don’t choose to go to Hajj, Allah invites you to Hajj”

SubhanAllah, it’s so true. So many Muslims will want to go but alas, can never make it. You may have millions of dollars and never have the chance, while the poorest of the poor with little to no money will make it to Hajj. “You may have millions of dollars and never have the chance, while the poorest of the poor with little to no money will make it to Hajj.” Personally I had been thinking about Hajj for the last few years and while each year my local Imam would invite me to come along, it always seemed as though my naseeb wasn’t to go. Either I couldn’t get the time off from work or financially I just wasn’t in a position to make it. Working in sales the busiest time of the year is the Christmas period, making it the most difficult time to get off. In 2010 Hajj coincided with the November and December months, making it look like it was going to be another year that I wouldn’t be able to go.

Then SubhanAllah, one thing after another came together and last year I completed my Hajj pilgrimage. I had been having problems with my manager at work and it was reaching the point where I was ready to leave. That week was particularly rough and I was ready to call it quits but like any other family man, you weigh up the mortgage, bills and payments vs. the need for income and you make your way to work because you have to. While some have the advantage of loving their job, unfortunately I was not in that position. So later that awful week at work, I received a call from my Imam encouraging me to go to Hajj this year, with a friendly reminder that there was only 2 days to go till the group had to get their Visa applications into the Saudi embassy.

I spoke with my wife and we had a chat about the situation and decided that enough was enough, this year we were Insh’Allah going to Hajj. I rang my manager the next day and asked if I could get the time off for November, the response very quickly was just a flat out no. He never bothered to ask me why, just a straight out no. Which In all honesty, I can’t really complain about, its work and it’s up to them whether they give me the time off or not. So I got home and spoke with my wife about the situation. We decided that if work wasn’t going to give me the time off, then it was time to have faith in Allah and resign, go to Hajj and come back to look for a new job insha’Allah. “We decided that if work wasnt going to give me the time off, then it was time to have faith in Allah and resign, go to Hajj and come back to look for a new job insha’Allah.”

So the next day I called my manager and informed him that I would be resigning. Soon after I received a call back from the director asking me what was going on? I explained my situation and informed him while I understood that due to the amount of time and the period that I am asking off my manager had refused, at this point in my life my wife and I decided that Hajj this was a higher priority for us and that I would be resigning as a result. Subhan’Allah, I got a call later that day from the director informing me that he would be giving me the time off and that he would like me to stay on.

Have faith in Allah and leave the rest to him

So with a day to go to get the Visa I got my vaccinations, photos and passport organised and I was ready to leave.

Soon I was at the airport with my fellow 27 Hajj’ees. I have heard stories of where the group is so big that there is no attention to individuals or where the group leader will basically drop you off and say there you go, go complete your Hajj. MashAllah our Imam is excellent, he provided courses leading up to leaving, provided reading material and also held classes in Mecca and Medina so we knew what to expect and made sure we completed Hajj properly. With a small and close knit group, alhamdulillah, all went well.
Jeddah

So after a long flight we arrived in Dubai and changed into our Ihram’s at the airport (the white clothing that people going to Hajj wear). We then flew off in a completely full A380 to Jeddah. Upon arrival I had what I thought was a taste of what was to come, the amount of people and heat both in large amounts. Our Imam kept telling us, whatever our weakness is, is what we will be tested on during the trip. Mine is large crowds….

When I got to the airport and was thrust into the large crowds I had a taste of what was to come. There weren’t hundreds or thousands of people there, there were tens of thousands of people inside the airport, outside the airport and around the airport. Friends had prewarned me about Jeddah airport saying that I should be prepared to wait for hours while they process all the incoming pilgrims. Our wait was around 6 hours so we were lucky. I have heard of many waiting for 10+ hours so our 6 was a breeze.

Umrah

After our arrival in Jeddah and our bus trip to Mecca, we arrived at our Apartment in Mecca. As we were there a few weeks prior to the Hajj period beginning, Mecca was not yet at full capacity, so it gave us time to settle in without the traffic and hustle and bustle.

As we prepared for our first Umrah (a pilgrimage to Kaaba done outside of the Hajj period), the butterflies began to sink in. The place I had been praying to my whole life, the Kaaba that I had seen in photos and videos only, the holiest place to any Muslim, soon I was going to be within metres of it….“The place I had been praying to my whole life, the Kaaba that I had seen in photos and videos only, the holiest place to any Muslim, soon I was going to be within metres of it….”

As the bus pulled up and dropped us off outside the Kaaba entrance I began to feel nervous and overly joyous. We went up the stairs and entered through the doors from the underground entrance, we kept our gaze lowered so as to only see the Kaaba once we reached the inner section and we could see it in all its glory. As we walked in through the main doors and through the initial crowds, our Imam gave us the signal to look up. SubhanAllah. There it was. It was around 2am and the the main floor was around half full with other pilgrims completing their tawaf, thousands of others around praying and making dua, Kabaa with its black curtains half up stood in front of me for the first time. Everyone in our group began making dua (prayers). I could see some crying, some smiling and others, like myself, just frozen. It’s that moment that I won’t forget, while I had prepared the dua in my head prior to getting there, once I was there, I just froze for a good few minutes just looking at its beauty. The Kaaba which was built by Ibrahim A.S, the Kaaba that we all pray to everyday, the Kaaba that is pictured in every Muslim household, was there in front of me for the first time.

After the initial shock and adrenalin had settled in and we all completed our dua, we began our Tawaf (going around the Kaaba). As I began my walk\jog around the Kaaba I began thinkingof how here I am with thousands of others, all in our plain white sheets making Tawaf as millions upon millions before me have. As I kept my eyes on the Kaaba, I thought of my Tawaf, then that of others, then the motion of electrons around atoms, that of of the moon around the Earth, the Earth around the Sun, the swirling look of the Galaxies, the orbits of other moons around planets unknown to us and how from this one action that I was doing, the same “orbit” is followed by so many other objects in the world. SubhanAllah.

The site of tens of thousands of people doing Tawaf is amazing. On my right could be a Brother or Sister from the poorest nation on earth, someone who has saved their whole life and traveled for months to get here, while on my left could be a billionaire who flew here on his\her private jet. Yet there, we all look alike and are all equal, the only one who is higher in Allah’s eyes is the one who is more humble and pious.“On my right could be a Brother or Sister from the poorest nation on earth, someone who has saved their whole life and traveled for months to get here, while on my left could be a billionaire who flew here on his\her private jet. Yet there, we all look alike and are all equal, the only one who is higher in Allah’s eyes is the one who is more humble and pious.”

After completing my Tawaf I prayed my 2 rakaat salaat (prayer) at Muqaam Ibrahim and made my way to perform sa`I (running seven times between the hills of Safa and Marwah). As Wikipedia explains, “This is a re-enactment of the frantic search for water for her son Ishmael by Abraham’s wife Hajar. As she searched, the Zamzam Well was revealed to her by an angel, who hit the ground with his heel (or brushed the ground with the tip of his wing), upon which the water of the Zamzam started gushing from the ground…..As part of this ritual the pilgrims also drink water from the Zamzam Well, which is made available in coolers throughout the Mosque.”

After which I was off to shave my head I had never shaved my head before so I was a little hesitant, much like some of the others in my group. But there was no way I wasn’t going to complete this part of my Umrah, so off to the barber I went. There just outside the walls of Masjid al Haram is a section where the barber shops are all lined up next to each other. While it was not that busy that night, a few weeks later it was the place where millions of muslim men would get their head shaved. As you can imagine, these guys have had a lot of practice:) The way in which they wield a razor is frightening, but 30 seconds later, I was bald and with no cuts

With my Umrah completed, I headed off to our meeting point and met with the rest of my group to head back to our apartments for some sleep.

Next post I will run through Hajj Insha’Allah and upload a lot more photos of my journey insha’Allah.

Read Part 2 here: http://muslimgamer.com/hajj-pilgrimage-part-2/#

Ramadhan in Mogadishu, Somalia

Guest Post by Br. Ikramuddin

Ramdhan for me this year started during a layover in Rome, enroute to Nairobi with the final destination being Mogadishu, Somalia. We had no idea what the plans were, no specific expectations except knowing that what we would see and experience would most undoubtedly change us in some fundamental way… But what we lived there, no words can do justice to. May Allah Azawajal ease the suffering and heartache our brothers and sisters are enduring.

Fasting for us here in the West can never really be considered hard, I mean maybe there are days where it is little challenging but it cannot compare to actually dying of hunger… and this is what I saw. Five year old children who could not support their own weight and would simply flop to the ground, 2 year old children weighing 3kg… the weight of a newborn child! Children in unbelievable states of malnutrition, things I’d only seen in text books. Subhanallah… We don’t know the blessings we have.

We landed in Mogadishu on a one runway airport, off to the side was a derelict relic of a plane long since crashed and pillaged. No one had thought to remove it, then again who would have removed it. This is a place which has seen such turmoil over the past 2 decades, such violence and sadness and today’s famine is a culmination of so many factors all rolled into one… and who suffers the most? The one who walk 10,15,20 days to come for help, burying along the way, or in some cases leaving behind the little ones too weak to continue the journey. Yes, I said leaving behind babies, with a prayer that someone coming along from behind would pick them up, because no one in their group had strength enough to carry them forward. Ya Rabi, forgive us our neglect for sitting comfortably while so many suffer in unimaginable ways.

We had traveled with Islamic Relief Canada (www.islamicreliefcanada.org) and met up with the heads of Islamic Relief USA as well Islamic Relief World and Islamic Relief Africa, of us all there was really only one person who had gone into Mogadishu in the past few weeks, for the rest of us it was something nothing could prepare us for. After landing we left the airport accompanied by our security detail, a pick up with 6 AK-47 carrying guards, these guys were with us ALWAYS. At times I felt it was somewhat of an overkill but when weapons started blazing not 100 yards away and our driver has both the gas and brake pinned to the floor waiting for our local guide to jump back in, so that he can pop the brake and take off… I guess at those times I could see the importance. Not to mention the dozens, if not hundreds of militia constantly roaming the streets. You never know who is who and sometimes its good to carry a big stick aka 6 guys with big guns. I mention this only to give a little bit of the background, a little glimpse of the chaos, into which these weary, starving, dehydrated and broken souled travelers enter into.

That morning after landing we went for a quick little tour of what Islamic Relief (IR) was doing in Mogadishu. Actually IR is focused more in the southern areas of Somalia, areas which are not accessible to the vast majority of Aid agencies/NGOs due to the political powers which control those lands… a completely different story in of itself. The second place we went to was a day clinic being run by some local physicians at one of the Internally Displaced Camps (IDP camps)… our medical team consisted of myself, a podiatric doc and a nurse. The plan had been to only visit, but when saw the line of sick kids we couldn’t just leave. So  we joined in with the local docs and starting seeing the people.

One of the first people who came to me was a father with his little boy (3 or 4 years old its my own shortcoming that I can’t even remember his age now). The father told me the boy had measles, and I thought to myself how? Of course I had completely neglected to remember that there is no vaccination program in Somalia and that measles are endemic. So the father continued his history and told me that this is his 4th child, that the other 3 had been ill in a similar way and after they had reached a similar state as his current child, he had buried all three, one by one during the past week… both he and I knew that there was nothing more to do… This was the one of the first people I saw and the stories only got sadder. Person after person, heartbreaking story after story, this is all that there was. The largest hospital in the city is run by 3 docs and 6 interns, noone really gets paid. It is something they do in order to try and help their brothers and sisters. It is a crisis beyond belief.

There are dozens of tales I could share, but the reality is that no matter what I say, no matter what we see on screens or read in papers there is nothing which can truly capture the magnitude of what is happening. By the Mercy of Allah Ta’ala, I have been around the world on medical missions similar to this but I can truly say I have NEVER before seen suffering, especially that of children, in the way I saw it in Mogadishu.

I have 2 little boys and our concern is not how to feed them, but rather how to feed them the BEST of things. What makes these the little boys and girls in Somalia any different? They are also my children. So how can I sit here and not remember the Infinite Blessings of Allah Ta’ala and not give thanks for all that we have?  So for those who do end up reading this, please do one thing, pray for them and us, pray that Allah Ta’ala Showers them in Rains of Mercy both literally and Metaphysically and pray that Allah Ta’ala Forgives us and doesn’t take us to task. And for those who can donate, please do so… In Canada we currently have dollar for dollar matching with the Federal government, so every dollar donated is matched by a dollar by the government. Please check out the website there are some videos of IR’s work in Somalia as well as around the world.

Please remember me, my family and the ummah in your duas

A big jazaks to Zarina for this awesome guest blog post!!! I definitely learned a lot!! *off to color code my Hijabs

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Hijab Organizing Tips

 
by Zarina

Life was simple when I first started wearing hijab.  I had three— 2 black and 1 white (which I seldom wore!).  I kept them folded neatly at the top of my dresser, and once a week, when I did my laundry, I tossed them in the basket to get washed, and then quickly returned them to their throne atop my dresser.

However, as time went on, I began to accumulate more. . . gifts from returning hajjis, souvenirs from my own hajj, convention bazaar finds ect.,  my collection has grown exponentially. As a result, I no longer store my hijabs at the top of my dresser, over the years my organizational methods have evolved.  When my collection hovered around 10, I linked shower curtain rings together and then threaded my hijabs through the rings.  When my collection grew to 20, I delegated a dresser drawer to my hijab collection, and haphazardly threw them in to the drawers.  Around 35, I started having trouble fitting all my hijabs into my dresser drawer. So, I purchased a pair of plastic drawers, I sorted the hijabs by color and just threw them into their respective drawer.

This method continued, about 2 years ago, when I sent my husband upstairs to retrieve a “dressy” black hijab (we were late for a party).  I instructed him to look in the top right hand drawer because that is where all of my grey/black hijabs lived. He came back in due time, and we were off to our party; but that night I came home to this on the floor of my closet:

I was FURIOUS at my husband for making that mess.  I may have shed some tears, but in the end I came to realize that sorting by color doesn’t really make for an organized collection.  It was still really hard to find the exact hijab I wanted, and I often times didn’t wear the one that matched perfectly because I was too lazy to iron it.

So I started to ask around, many of my friends were hijabi, a lot of them had sisters, moms and relatives that were also hijabi.  Surely, someone had some magic method to organize hijabs.  But as I asked around, I came to realization, that most people followed my method.  The plastic drawers, sorted by color, stuffed drawers, wrinkly messy hijabs that must be ironed.  All of us at some point had folded our hijabs neatly, and stack them in drawers, but within a few months the collection just became messy again.

After thinking about my hijab dilemma for a few days, I decided to try my hand at organizing hijabs again.  This time I’d fold them, but I was determined to keep them neat, and organized forever.   While, I can’t say for sure how long my method will last, I do know that I have been able to maintain it for the past 2 years, and it’s really pretty simple.

Four Simple Steps to an Organized Hijab Collection

 
Step 1: Make a mess.

Have you ever heard of the saying “from chaos comes order”?  When it comes to cleaning things and organizing things, and for my hijabs—chaos definitely helped bring about order. The very first thing I did was dump all of my hijabs onto my closet floor. From there— I studied my collection.  This may seem ludicrous, but you have to decide for yourself what the best way to organize your collection is.  I chose color, this method is pretty self explanatory. However, you may find that you only wear one or two hijabs regularly—in which case you may choose to organize by occasion (work, home, parties, masjid).  Another way to organize your hijab is by season, leaving heavier hijabs in the winter drawer, and lighter linen-y hijabs in the summer drawer.  I am a very visual person, so it helped me to look at all of my hijabs to choose an organizational method, you might be able to do this step in your head.

Step 2: Folding your Hijabs.

Unless you’re extremely particular when it comes to hijabs, it is likely you have several different shapes and sized hijabs. A huge part of staying organized is to have them all folded to about the same size and shape. If you fold them to be all different sizes, it’s really easy to look over a hijab once they are put away.  Consistency is key here, and you may need to resort to folding in thirds or fourths, to get your folded product down to the right size for your space.   Folding triangular shaped hijabs can be a little tricky, you can fold the two ends into the back corner of the hijab to create a square, and then fold from there.  It will be handy to keep a fold along the long portion of your folded hijab (see picture below).  Also, be sure to fold so that any tassles/strings/decoration get tucked inside.

Step 3: Choose an apparatus.

The most important step in this process is choosing where you will be storing your hijabs.  You know that I use plastic drawers, but you need to take three important factors into consideration when you’re making that decision.

1. Space: Where are you planning on storing your hijabs?  Look around your space, do you have drawers that are being unused in your dresser?  If you’re choosing a closet, then you can probably get away with plastic drawers, but if you’re planning on keeping it in your room, you may want to “invest” in a set of drawers that look more like furniture.  Keep in mind that you’ll be wearing hijab for the rest of your life (insha Allah), so try to avoid choices that you’ll want to change in a few years (think neon colored drawers!!).   You can also use a shelf with baskets.
2. Drawers/dividers: If you’re going to buy a set of drawers, try and pick one with drawers that are just a touch larger than the size you fold your hijabs.  If you’re going to use an existing space to store your hijabs, create dividers just a little wider than the size of your folded hijabs.  Dividers can be purchased, or you can make them yourself.
3. Growth: Make sure to account for future growth in your collection by having extra drawers, or extra space in drawers.  This is especially important if you’re choosing a set of drawers that looks more like furniture, because it might be difficult to find a set that matches well in a few years.

Step 4: Putting them Away.

This is the easiest and probably the most exciting part of organizing.  Hopefully while you were folding in Step 2 you kept your scarves separated in the way you want to store them.  I like to stack my hijabs and then flip them right into the drawers.  When I stack I make sure to have all of the folded edge along one side.  The key to this method is setting your hijabs so the fold faces up towards the top of the drawer.

Some tips to keep in mind:

• Try and alternate materials.  I try and place a cottony hijab between every 5 or 6 silky ones.  The cotton is a bit stiffer, so it helps keep the other hijabs in place when you’ve taken one out for the day.
• Be careful removing hijabs out of a tightly packed space.  If need be slide a hand in, and create a little space for you to easily remove the scarf you need.
• The first time I did this I had a separate pile for purple hijabs and a separate one for blue, and separate pile for red.  When I started putting things away I realized that I didn’t have enough hijabs for any of those drawers to be full. I ended up splitting the purple pile among the blue and the red pile.  I like my drawers to be tightly packed, because it keeps the scarves nice and neat.
• If you find yourself with a loosely packed drawer, you can combine piles, or use a drawer divider to keep your scarves firmly packed.
• Stick a dryer sheet in the back or the bottom of each drawer to keep your hijabs smelling fresh.

 
So that’s it! This method isn’t foolproof, you have to keep make sure you put your hijabs away after you wear them; if you don’t keep up with this, you’ll find yourself back at square one.

Jazaks to sister Aysha for this awesome blog in these difficult economic times. Allah is the Best of Providers, but we should definitely be doing our part too
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Assalamu aliekum

I’m Aysha. I am very excited to have the opportunity to guest blog for Jannah. I’m going to talk to you about a topic I personally love sharing: saving money. Who doesn’t like to save money? Since we are on a blog right now about the road to jannah, I figured why not see what the Qur’an has to say about saving money or not being wasteful.

“But spend not wastefully (your wealth) in the manner of a spendthrift. Verily, the spendthrifts are brothers of the Shayaateen (devils), and the Shaytaan (Devil-Satan) is ever ungrateful to his Lord” [al-Israa’ 17:26-27]

So let’s talk about ways to not be wasteful and save money:

1. Free entertainment. There are many ways to have fun for free. My personal favorite is free movies. Over the past year I have watched tons of movies for free. A few nights ago I got to see Knight and day for free. Best of all, I got a chance to see the movies before they were out in theaters. Now some might want to know how this is possible. This is how; many movie companies do free screenings for movies so that they can get people hyped about the movie. If I like the movie, I will most likely tell my friends about it who will actually pay to go watch it.

Well where do you find these free screening tickets?

There are many sites that provide free tickets. My favorite is www.filmmetro.com . There are also other ways to find free screenings, including visiting sites like www.slickdeals.net or www.fatwallet.com . Why pay for movies when you can go with friends for free?

2. There is no shame in couponing. Now I’m not saying start a coupon notebook and spend hours of your life trying to figure out what you can save on. I am however saying that most stores send coupons in the mail. Don’t go to the store without it. Some stores that always have coupons are Macys, New York and company, JCP, express, etc… If you do forget that you have a coupon or you get one in the mail as soon as you get home, you can always go back for a price adjustment later.

3. If there is a reward program at your favorite stores, sign up, you have nothing to lose. A lot of companies are starting these reward programs where you earn points for coupons or money off. These companies include New York and company, Sears, Ulta, Sephora, JCP etc… If you are going to make a purchase from the store, might as well earn points. When you sign up for these programs they usually send really good coupons and most will give you a free gift on your birthday.

4. There is such a thing as free. If someone tells you otherwise, tell them to check out my blog. http://amoorasfrugallife.blogspot.com Many companies are willing to give away sample sizes of things. There are many things that also have the little tag that says “try me free”. These are for mail-in rebates but none the less, it’s still free.

5. Whenever possible, eat for free. IHOP just had this free meal coupon going around on facebook. You just have to like IHOP on facebook and you get the coupon, how easy is that? You don’t always have to say you like a company to eat for free. There is free slurpee day on 7/11 of every year. There is free pancake day at IHOP, national donut day where places like krispy kreme, dunkin donuts and other places offer free donuts. Let’s be honest, most of us are on facebook. Just let facebook update you on free food items you can get.

6. Name your own price. Now we know a lot of the aunties and uncles love to bargain when it comes to buying things. Although we can’t bargain in a lot of stores in the U.S., we can bargain when it comes to traveling. www.priceline.com allows you to name your own price when it comes to plane tickets and hotel stays. It is easy to sign up and very easy to name your own price. You tell them how much you want to pay, and what area you would like to stay in for your hotel accommodations and that’s it. You will know fairly instantly if someone accepts your price or not. If they don’t accept your price then just try again. Be reasonable in the price you want to pay. I have stayed at many 4-star hotels and paid only $50 a night. You can specify your location based on the street you want be on or landmarks surrounding the area. The same goes with the name your own price plane ticket.

7. Opt for buying books online as opposed to the first store you walk into. This is for both people in college/university as well as those who buy books for leisure. The easiest thing to do is a Google search. I will sometimes do a search for the book I want to buy on Google and I will see what the sites are offering the book for. Once a find a site that is offering a good deal, I’ll buy it. If you don’t feel like doing that, just pick a site you like and stick with it. My favorite site is www.half.com I find all the good deals there and they take the lowest commission if you choose to sell books in the future.

8. Great shopping days. Remember there are days that just have amazing deals. January is the best for winter clothing shopping. As soon as Christmas is over, the sales are the best. They are starting to get rid of winter clothing to get ready for the spring selection. If you are brave, black Friday usually has amazing sales. As soon as any holidays are over, there are major clearance sales. Tax free day is also great if you are going to buy expensive items.

9. Clearance racks are your best friend. Now that you know when the best days to shop and you also know the days that have the largest selection on the clearance rack. After holidays and during the change of season there is always clothing on the racks. Yes these items are that seasons clothing but so what? There is most likely going to be items on that rack that you can use later. Example: leggings. Most hijabis at one point will wear a skirt. I wear leggings under my skirts. Also, long sleeve shirts (body shirts) are excellent for hijabis and never go out of style (as long as you get the plain ones).

10. Being wasteful also means throwing away stuff that is useable or recyclable. If you have clothing you don’t want, donate them to goodwill or even to a charity. There are always groups that are collecting clothing for moments like hurricanes, etc. Also, if you have old furniture you don’t want, offer it on sites like craigslist or www.freecycle.org . You’ll be surprised to know there are plenty who could really use that item you were going to throw away. There are also other hobbyists that enjoy refinish old and unusable furniture. Even if it is broken, there is a chance someone might use it. Trust me, even those worn out shoes you were about to throw away, Nike can recycle them and reuse them to help others out. Check it out: http://www.nikereuseashoe.com

11. Lastly, remember to give charity. After all the money you will be saving remember Allah. Allah says “Ma naqasa malon min sadaqa” which means “your wealth due to donations/donating.”

I’m sure I haven’t told you anything new but inshallah we will be able to continue to stay away from being wasteful. W’salaam!

Sr. Aysha

Amoora’s Frugal Life

I thought I would post this very interesting article from a friend’s secret blog He’s an American Muslim who recently changed careers and moved overseas (unfortunately for him without his wife) to Saudi Arabia in order to teach English. I found his perspective on women there very interesting. We could also apply this to Muslim society in the US where seclusion and separation can go to ridiculous extremes (even in our Mosques/Mosque boards).

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The Role of Women in Saudi Society
by Bro. S.

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On Love, Pride & Prejudice and Islam

by Br Khalid

Mr. Darcy, I am a very selfish creature; and for the sake of giving relief to my own feelings, care not how much I may be wounding yours. I can no longer help thanking you for your unexampled kindness to my poor sister. Ever since I have known it, I have been most anxious to acknowledge to you how gratefully I feel it. Were it known to the rest of my family, I should not have merely my own gratitude to express.”

“I am sorry, exceedingly sorry,” replied Darcy, in a tone of surprise and emotion, “that you have ever been informed of what may, in a mistaken light, have given you uneasiness. I did not think Mrs. Gardiner was so little to be trusted.”

“You must not blame my aunt. Lydia’s thoughtlessness first betrayed to me that you had been concerned in the matter; and, of course, I could not rest till I knew the particulars. Let me thank you again and again, in the name of all my family, for that generous compassion which induced you to take so much trouble, and bear so many mortifications, for the sake of discovering them.”

“If you will thank me,” he replied, “let it be for yourself alone. That the wish of giving happiness to you might add force to the other inducements which led me on, I shall not attempt to deny. But your family owe me nothing. Much as I respect them, I believe I thought only of you.”

Many of you will recognise the above as the conversation between the two main protagonists in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice before Darcy proposes marriage to Elizabeth for the second time in the book.

As we all know, the answer he obtains at this juncture is markedly different from the response he receives during his first rather feeble attempt.

Pride and Prejudice is considered a classic in English literature and, following the BBC adaptation of the book in the 1990s, has risen incredibly in popularity fueling an amazing spin off industry of its own.

From an Islamic point of view, however, why should we care?

Isn’t it just another boy meets girl–boy falls for girl–boy loses girl–boy gets girl back-kind of story which is so prevalent in modern day Hollywood?

That may well be the case but I have always been of the opinion that there are some very strong Islamic themes which can be identified from the novel, with the paragraph quoted above being just one typical example.

Repentance

It is said that repentance in Islam is composed of three things:

1.   Knowledge of one’s wrong actions

2.   Remorse over one’s wrong actions

3.   Resolution not to return to those wrong actions as well as a resolution in redressing any wrongs associated with the past

As Imam Ghazali says in his Ihya:

As long as man knows not that transgressions are the causes from the remoteness of the Beloved, he will neither regret nor grieve over his travelling on the path of withdrawal. As long as he is not grieved, he will not turn back, retreat being abandonment and determination.

Could we argue that only when Darcy was deep into the writing of Elizabeth’s letter, detailing his behaviour and role in the break up of Bingley and Jane, that he finally started to see the error of his ways?

Did this lead to remorse and an attempt to rectify previous wrongs?

If so, what does that say about us as Muslims in this day and age? Do we really know enough about ourselves and our religion to able to identify whether we are transgressing or not?

Or are we simply amongst those people who think we are doing nothing wrong and are perfectly fine but then discover to our horror that the following verse may actually apply to us:

Say: “Shall we tell you of those who lose most in respect of their deeds?-

“Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life, while they thought that they were acquiring good by their works?”

One can’t repent if one is in a state of ignorance over one’s own transgressions.

This is why the acquisition of knowledge is paramount no matter who or where we are in the world, and, possibly why, in the absence thereof we are commanded to constantly seek Allah’s forgiveness.

Narrated Abu Huraira:

I heard Allah’s Apostle (s) saying.

” By Allah! I ask for forgiveness from Allah and turn to Him in repentance more than seventy times a day.”

[Bukhari]

Sincerity

When Darcy asks for Elizabeth’s hand in marriage for the second time, he prefaces his proposal by his resolve in only helping Elizabeth’s family for her sake alone and for no one else.

“If you will thank me,” he replied, “let it be for yourself alone. That the wish of giving happiness to you might add force to the other inducements which led me on, I shall not attempt to deny. But your family owe me nothing. Much as I respect them, I believe I thought only of you.”

In Islam, the Qur’an constantly reminds us about sincerity and that our worship and servitude should only be ‘for Allah’

Verily it is We Who have revealed the Book to thee in Truth: so serve Allah, offering Him sincere devotion. Is it not to Allah that sincere devotion is due?…

…Say: “It is Allah I serve, with my sincere (and exclusive) devotion…

..Call ye, then, upon Allah with sincere devotion to Him..

…He is the Living (One): There is no god but He: Call upon Him, giving Him sincere devotion…

Of course sincerity is linked to repentance since one cannot really truly resolve to abstain from wrong if one is not sincere in that claim. As such, Allah addresses the believers in this regard:

O ye who believe! Turn to Allah with sincere repentance..

There could be an argument made here that one of the reasons why we constantly fail in our endeavours is because of a lack of sincerity in our actions and in our intentions.

The (true) believers are those only who believe in Allah and His Messenger and afterward doubt not, but strive with their wealth and their lives for the cause of Allah. Such are the sincere.

The indication from the above verse is that sincerity is not merely a passive belief in Allah and and His Messenger but also involves an *active* effort in terms of striving and self improvement.

Would Elizabeth have been so impressed with Darcy’s actions if he had not personally sought out Wickham and Lydia rather than just sending a servant to conclude the agreement?

Love

What is love?

What does love mean?

How does one fall in love?

All good valid questions but do we have any corresponding good valid answers?

Well from the preceding discussion, it can be seen there is some type of link between sincerity and love. Interestingly enough, a heart is the most commonly used symbol for love in the world today and the scholars of Islam agree that sincerity emanates from the heart which is the seat and place of intentions.

Does that mean someone who says ‘I sincere you’ is telling you that he or she loves you?

Although both maybe completely heartfelt statements, it just doesn’t sound quite right does it?

So what *do* we know about love?

Well, we know that love is something which is a gift given to us from Allah, as one of the most oft repeated verses from the Qur’an on this topic indicates:

And among His Signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquillity with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts): verily in that are Signs for those who reflect.

But rather than just being a blessing given to us, an element of striving also results in our receipt of love from Allah:

On those who believe and work deeds of righteousness, will (God) Most Gracious bestow love.

One of the Names of Allah is Al Wadud which is often translated as The Loving or The Loving Kind.

Indeed Imam Ghazali says the following on this Name in his book on The Ninety Nine Beautiful Names of God:

Its meaning is close to ‘The Merciful’, but mercy is linked with one who receives mercy, and the one who receives mercy is needy and poor. So the actions of The Merciful presupposes there being one who is weak to receive mercy, while the actions of The Loving Kind do not require that. Rather, bestowing favours from the outset results from loving kindness

Hence love is bestowed without any pre existing conditions and such unconditional love is rare if not extinct amongst mankind today.

Imam Ghazali goes on to say that man’s share in this Name is the ability to ..desire for God’s creatures whatever he desires for himself.. and that a higher degree still are those who prefer God’s creatures over and above themselves.

He continues by saying:

The perfection of that virtue occurs when not even anger, hatred and the harm he might receive can keep him from altruism and goodness.

As the Messenger of God (s) said when his tooth was broken and his face was struck and bloodied:

‘Lord, guide my people, for they do not know’.

Not even their actions prevented him from intending their good

Such are those who have the capacity to love!!!

That capacity is something that takes time to nurture and build since it requires strength of will on our part together with resolve and determination. This process of Tazkiyah or the purification of the self (or soul) is often likened to a journey whereby the servant starts with repentance and proceeds to purify his heart through acts of obedience to his Lord such that any remnants of previous misdeeds are washed away.

This is alluded to in the following verses of the Qur’an:

”There is a mosque whose foundation was laid from the first day on piety; it is more worthy of the standing forth (for prayer) therein. In it are men who love to be purified; and Allah loveth those who make themselves pure.”

“For God loves those who turn to Him constantly and He loves those who keep themselves pure and clean.”

And in the famous Hadith Qudsi as related by Imam Bukhari

Narrated Abu Huraira:

Allah’s Apostle (s) said, “Allah said,

‘I will declare war against him who shows hostility to a pious worshipper of Mine. And the most beloved things with which My slave comes nearer to Me, is what I have enjoined upon him; and My slave keeps on coming closer to Me through performing Nawafil (praying or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory) till I love him, so I become his sense of hearing with which he hears, and his sense of sight with which he sees, and his hand with which he grips, and his leg with which he walks; and if he asks Me, I will give him, and if he asks My protection (Refuge), I will protect him; (i.e. give him My Refuge) and I do not hesitate to do anything as I hesitate to take the soul of the believer, for he hates death, and I hate to disappoint him.”

What I find so interesting about this is the level of involvement we have in determining the love that Allah shows for us. Rather than being a mere passive bestowal, we can play an active part in receiving the love of Allah by striving in his path and performing righteous deeds. Obviously the more one does along this path [in terms of extra voluntary deeds], the greater the reciprocal reward.

What is equally fascinating, however, is that this love which comes with one’s struggle and one’s efforts also begins to emanate from the creation as well as from The Creator.

Abu Huraira reported that Allah’s Messenger (s) said:

When Allah loves a servant, He calls Gabriel and says: Verily, I love so and so; you should also love him, and then Gabriel begins to love him.

Then he makes an announcement in the Heaven saying: Allah loves so and so and you also love him, and then the inhabitants of the Heaven (the Angels) also begin to love him and then there is conferred honour upon him in the earth;

and when Allah is angry with any servant He calls Gabriel and says: I am angry with such and such and you also become angry with him, and then Gabriel also becomes angry and then makes an announcement amongst the inhabitants of heaven: Verily Allah is angry with so-and so, so you also become angry with him, and thus they also become angry with him. Then he becomes the object of wrath on the earth also.

[Muslim]

Hence the process of purification can not only increase one’s capacity *to love* but also increases the capacity of *being loved*!!

Conclusion

For those faithful, sincere and purified servants of Allah, there are at least two rewards which await them.

The first relates to Satan’s promise that he would mislead the son of Adam after being banished from the heavenly realm:

(Iblis) said: “O my Lord! because Thou hast put me in the wrong, I will make (wrong) fair-seeming to them on the earth, and I will put them all in the wrong,

Except Thy servants among them, sincere and purified (by Thy Grace).”

Thus they live in the world with the protection, love and grace of Allah such that Satan and his cohorts no longer have the ability to affect them. In itself, what a reward indeed!!

The second relates to the Hereafter:

And the Garden will be brought nigh to the Righteous,- no more a thing distant.

A voice will say: “This is what was promised for you,- for everyone who turned (to Allah) in sincere repentance, who kept (His Law),

Who feared (Allah) Most Gracious Unseen, and brought a heart turned in devotion (to Him):

“Enter ye therein in Peace and Security; this is a Day of Eternal Life!”

May Allah grant us the ability to be people of repentance and sincerity who struggle with might and main in His cause, such that we become of those who are pure and beloved by our Lord.

And Allah knows best.

Wasalaam
Br Khalid