WOW! When was the last time I was on here??? I feel bad about neglecting my blog for so many months…let me try and make up for it

A few months ago, I read an article in the local Muslim newspaper: The Muslim Link. It was an editorial about Muslim women buying Coach purses. I found it to be an interesting article and understand what the sis is trying to say. Sadly, I think that some people took it the wrong way after reading some comments people left about it.

See for yourself: Pretty Purses Make Petty Priority

I think the sister is just reminding her fellow Muslimahs about materialism (which affects us all). I don’t see this as an attack on anyone, and think maybe some people just over analyze everything. It’s true that these purses cost an arm and a leg, and the money can definitely be used for a better cause.

I love watching this video of Hajj Malik El-Shabbaz (aka Malcolm X). This is after he accepted Sunni Islam and left the Nation of Islam. He talks about how Islam is the solution for racism in America. While we don’t live in the 1960s anymore, racism still exists all around the world, including in America.

So I was forwarded this email about Muslim Demographics. Really awesome video! It’s meant for Christians, I guess to start “sharing the Gospel” with Muslims….but yea I don’t see that happening anytime soon.

As you might know, Emad Al-Mansary is one of my favorite recitors. Mash’Allah he has just amazingly awesome qirat! I have his Surah Al-Furqan on my IPOD, for some reason I can’t find it online anywhere, or I so would have put the link up! :/

Surah Al-Furqaan has one distinct verse which always stands out when Emad Al-Mansary recites it; he just emphasizes the verse so much in his recitation. This would be ayah number 28 and continuing on to ayah 29:

“Ah! Woe to me! Would that I had never taken so-and-so as a Khalil (close friend!)”

“He indeed led me astray from the Reminder (this Quran) after it had come to me And Shaytan is to man ever a deserter in the hour of need.”

These two ayahs talk about the Day of Judgment and when the Zalim, or wrongdoer, will regret what they did in this dunya. They will regret making friends with people who led them astray from the truth. It’s true that friends can have a major impact on the decisions you make in life everyday. I was actually teaching this concept to my second graders a few classes ago and we even talked about how having no friends is better than having bad friends.

In fact, one day in my developmental psychology class we were discussing about middle school students. Did you know that if a child begins to act delinquent during their middle school years, it’s because of the friends they have? Interesting.

It’s really amazing how much is jam packed into the Quran, but we are too “busy” to open it and see what Allah has to say to us. Try your best to open, read, study and memorize the Quran every single day. After all, shouldn’t we all be companions of the Quran?

Our relationship with the Creator of the universe is kinda sorta, really super duper important! One way to improve our relationship with Allah, is by learning as much as we can about Him. This way,  we can help to protect our Aqeedah (aka beliefs) and of course expand our knowledge of the deen.

While I was surfing the AlMaghrib forums one day, I came across this handy little project created by Qabeelat Nurayn. (yea, my qabeelah!) It’s a compilation of the 99 Names of Allah according to Shaykh Uthaymeen.

DOWNLOAD

*Interesting: The word ‘duper’ is not underlined as misspelled.*

Any weekend Islamic school teacher can tell you that teaching kids once a week is difficult. You have them in your class for such a short period of time and you have SO much to teach. Absences are common, homework is not done, lots of parents don’t take it seriously and plenty of teachers don’t take it seriously. My friend found this one textbook, for grades K-12, which might be of some use to weekend school teachers. Mash’Allah they’re textbooks are so concise and have homework sheets included. Also they are amazingly cheap! Only $11! So if you or someone you know is looking for a good text for teaching weekend Islamic school, I would suggest: Weekend Learning

I haven’t bought one yet, because the school year is almost over. Most likely I’ll buy one next year when I have my grade finalized. Here’s some sample pages

So I had an exam today at 10:30. I didn’t study last night and had planned on studying after Fajr. I woke up late, with enough time to get ready and leave for my 9:30 class. I decided to skip my 9:30 class and study for my exam. So I’m sitting there in my room reading over my notes, when all of a sudden my janoo comes into the room with dadijaan. Of course, how can you study with cute little Hasan in the room!??! You have to keep him entertained, so you put him in front of the Mac with photobooth open…studying…huh, studying, for what??

My nephew’s been in Canada for a week and a half now. We miss him sooo much! I hope he’s having fun there and I’m 100% his nani, nana, and khalas love having him around. Mash’Allah he’s super adorable and has a super cute laugh Before he left me and my brother were playing with him. I started throwing a pillow in the air and he just couldn’t stop laughing. He got hiccups halfway through too. So I told my brother to grab the camera and start filming Here’s the end product. Enjoy!  

May Allah bless him and protect him. Ameen.

Macs are so cool.

What? A companion of the Prophet Muhammad (saw) was a jokster? Companion? WHAT!??

This was my reaction after reading a chapter in the book, Companions of the Prophet. An-Nu’ayman ibn Amr was a great companion who fought in major battles, including Badr, Uhud and Khandaq. However, An-Nu’ayman had a personality which was slightly different than that of the “typical” companion. Some of his jokes seem confusing but I guess humor can depend on the time period.

Once An-Nu’ayman went to the market and saw some food being sold which looked very appetizing. He ordered some and sent it to the Prophet (saw) as if it were a gift from him. The Prophet (saw) was happy when he received the food and him and his family ate it. The vendor of the food came to An-Nuayman to collect the money and an-Nuayman said to him: “Go to the Messenger of Allah. It was for him. He and his family ate it.” The vendor went to the Prophet (saw) and the Prophet (saw) asked an-Nuayman: “Didn’t you give it to me?” An-Nuayman said yes he did. He wanted the Prophet (saw) to eat it but had no dirhams to pay the vendor. So he asked the Prophet (saw) to pay for the food. The Prophet (saw) laughed about the incident. An-Nu’ayman felt two benefits of this incident: the Prophet (saw) and his family ate good food, and the Muslims had a good laugh.

I found this story funnier :

Once Abu Bakr and some companions went on a trading journey to Busra. Suwaybit ibn Harmalah was responsible for guarding the food and provisions. An-Nu’ayman was one of the group members and became hungry. He asked Suwaybit for food, who refused. An-Nu’ayman warned him and said he would do something to him. He went to a group of Arabs and said he would sell them strong and sturdy slave. The slave had an articulate tongue and would say that he is free, but they were not to listen to him. The men paid for the slave and An-Nu’ayman completed the transaction, while the buyers went to get the “slave,” Suwaybit. The men grabbed Suwaybit as he pleaded for them to let him go, he kept saying he was a free man. An-Nu’ayman didn’t laugh and remained calm and serious. When Abu Bakr found out what was happening he went to the Arab men and explained what had happened. They got their money back and Suwaybit came back to the caravan. The companions, including Suwaybit laughed about it. When the Prophet (saw) heard the story, him and his companions laughed even more.

The author adds a good point in this chapter:

“The religion of Islam does not require people to disdain seemly laughter and levity and remain perpetually gloomy. An appropriate sense of humor is often a saving grace.”