Archive for the ‘Personal Development’ category
Give Good Tidings to the Patient
Originally Published in October 2011 It is one of those unavoidable facts of life: sometimes we find ourselves in situations we don’t want to be in. Often, we have to do things or resist doing other things. The Qur’ān and Ḥadīth mention such occurrences, and also elaborate on our response to them. Thus the following [...]
The Hijab Diaries: From Sweet 16 to Hijabi Before 16
By Gabrielle Deonath The Hijab Diaries: Part I | Part II There is one thing that little girls dream about: getting older. Since I was four years old, I’d been dreaming about turning the golden age of sixteen. I watched shows, like My Super Sweet 16 on MTV, and I thought I would plan every [...]
Before it’s too late
By Anonymous I had begun to think of this room as the ‘Yellow room’. Subconsciously we give things names. It had become a second home to us in a move nobody wanted to make. We would arrive early in the morning and find a vacant spot by the window seats and sit down, contemplating why [...]
Do You Really Want to Memorize the Qur’an?
The Qur’an Series: Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI | Part VII Many of us make excuses for why we cannot memorize the Qur’an. Some of us are too busy. Some of us simply feel it’s too insurmountable a task. However, we make these excuses while having many blessings, countless of which others pray [...]
“Not educated… No expert…”
By Nabil Ahmed Part I | Part II In our last article we reminded ourselves of how little in reality we know—and how an obsessiveness of thinking that we’re “right” is not a characteristic of a humble Believing Mind. In this second article, we explore how we can reach the intellectual humility that we crave. [...]
In Need of Him
By Nabil Ahmed Part I | Part II What do I know anyway? One of my teachers taught us in a class earlier this year: ‘The less you learn, the more you think you know. And the more you learn, the more you realize how little you know!’ This shook me to my core. I [...]
The Reality of One Ummah
Abdullah Brothers’ Ramadan Masjid Tour: Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI | Part VII | Part VIII As we prepped for Lubbock, TX, I had no idea what to expect. Weather-wise I was getting very nervous. The hard rain, the dark clouds, the lightning showers we drove into gave me instant Taqwaa. I just think of the Ad & [...]
Ramadan: A Poem
By Musa Burki A time for our hearts to become unsealed Reflecting on the divine words revealed The month which we hope to never end Unable to count the infinite blessings it sends Asked by our Lord to give up our worldly pleasures So that we may receive His divine treasures It’s a time [...]
Marriage as Medicine
Abdullah Brothers’ Ramadan Masjid Tour: Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI | Part VII Jumah is the best day of the week. The Khateeb, Imam Suleiman, sent a purifying message at the Atlanta Masjid. He talked about the diseases of the heart. The more he spoke, the more I began to feel dirty, and dirtier, until I [...]
The Effects of Our Deeds
Knowingly or unknowingly, we all sin and make mistakes. This is something from our nature as human beings that we will never be able to completely overcome. We all fall into that second look or say a white lie or miss a salah (prayer). While we may repent from the sin after, an aspect that [...]
Pardon
SubhanAllah (Glory be to God)—the last 10 days of Ramadan have begun. One of these nights will be Laylat al-Qadr (The Night of Power) insha’Allah (God willing)—a time for intensified reflection, worship and giving. Aisha radi allahu anha (may God be pleased with her), realizing the magnanimity of this time, asked the Prophet ﷺ (peace [...]
Ramadan Fatigue: One Last Time
By Oussama Mezoui It was early June, if not late May. Mustafa and I were in the middle of a large meal at Behesht Restaurant on the Harrow Road. As always we started off the meal with his favourite Salad Olvieh and Naan bread before moving on to the large Mixed Special Kebab, which although [...]
A Gift for the 27th Night: Ramadan Du`a’ with English Translation
Originally Posted on August 26th, 2011 By Shaykh Muhammad Jebril | Translated by Shazia Ahmad Many of us spend a good portion of our Ramadan nights with our hands raised in du`a’ (supplication), listening to the heart-felt words of our imam or shaykh calling on Allah in the witr prayer. For those of us who [...]
Purifying Your Intentions
Abdullah Brothers’ Ramadan Masjid Tour: Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI One of the rewarding things about this trip is seeing the true beauty of Islam. Rich or poor, black or white, big or little, it doesn’t matter, Islam prevails. I get excited to see Muslims regardless of ethnicity. I get a little more excited [...]
Ramadan Reflections: Hardships Are Hidden Blessings
By Lauren Tabakhi The pre-Ramadan enthusiasm I felt within me was unmatched compared to any other point in time throughout the year. In prior months before this spiritual season, I regretfully admit to losing sight of many of the priorities and principles that I used to hold so dear. Thus, as Ramadan drew near, my [...]
Be the Light
This Ramadan, Americans have faced some difficult trials: the shooting in the Aurora theater, the shooting in the Sikh temple, and the burnt down mosque in Missouri. A sister was also hit after taraweeh (extra night prayers) by a car in a hit-and-run as she was walking outside the parking lots around a local masjid; [...]
Cattle, Iron, & the Human Heart
Any time the creation deviates from the natural state God designed for it, it is bound for corruption. Any time we take on qualities reserved for other creations, we degenerate and descend in spiritual status. Like cattle, or iron even. Even though they glorify God, the cattle’s aims in life are to eat, drink, sleep [...]
How Does One Soften Their Heart?
Originally Published August 2011 As the last ten nights of Ramadan are upon us, many of us are still in shock at the speed with which Ramadan has passed. Our goals may not yet be realized, our habits may not yet have changed, and our hearts may not yet have felt the sweetness of this [...]
Representing Muslims
Abdullah Brothers’ Ramadan Masjid Tour: Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI As we made our way to Cleveland, OH I kept thinking, why do they call this place ‘the mistake by the Lake’? Cleveland has a very unfortunate history of losing and losing in dramatic fashion in the sporting world. But, for me [...]
Ramadan Reflection: Seek Support
Two young women and a young man reached out to me respectively this past week, none knowing the others, but all having gone through a similar experience as children. Each had been the victim of sexual abuse at a very young age, and none of them had really spoken about it for quite some time. [...]
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