How to Raise Righteous Children

Another amazing blog post 

The Muslimah Mommy-How to Raise Righteous Children

Islamic Literature

How To Implement Prayer Within Your Household

I came across this lovely blog about a month ago and am kind of addicted. The posts are so relevant to a young Muslimah juggling with kids,running a home etc

Please check out this post regarding prayer.Something for the young and (g)old

The Muslimah Mommy

The Haraam Police

I follow quite a few Muslim bloggers,for various different reasons;some for their amazing fashion sense,some for inspiration and some just because of their hilarious outlook on life.

I'm not one to comment on their pictures,posts etc very often unless I feel the need to or it's something I really like.One thing I try to refrain from is commenting when I feel strongly against something. I've seen some well-intended comments regarding this and have also witnessed some disgustingly harsh,cruel,insensitive or totally unnecessary responses,sometimes all of the above in one comment.

Why fellow Muslimah's (and males,mind you!) feel the need to publicly bring down a Muslim sister is beyond me,it makes you wonder whatever happened to sisterhood and concealing another Muslims faults.I've always maintained that if you feel strongly about something,you can get your message across in a very polite manner.If the person still gets insulted,well then.

A term I've become familiar with is 'the Haraam Police' referring to those individuals,regardless of how they have put their message across,who are immediately 'atttacked' for pointing out a wrong (whether it may be or not) in something someone said,did,wore etc Islamically.

Granted,sometimes you just have to shut up and make a silent dua for the person.But after seeing a recent online argument where one sister very politely,with smiley emoticons etc pointed out something that was inappropriate for a Muslim,get smashed down by the blogger and her 'folllowers',I was slightly disgusted.
Opinions are shaped by upbringing,experiences etc.So,no two people in the world are going to agree 100% on every aspect.That's what makes us all unique.But part of been adult is respecting that the other persons opinion may differ to yours and then move on.

As Muslims,we are constantly striving to better ourselves.So when someone offers some advice,whether you agree with the advice given or not,thank the person and then do what you want with the information-discard or act upon.

The blogger was clearly peeved about been corrected and said that daily she must deal with people constantly picking on her life and finding faults.Well,you know what?Been a blogger,anonymous or not,means putting a part of your life out there,and human nature is to judge.Then came the 'HARAAM POLICE'  comments.

If you can't handle the heat,get out of the fire.And if you still want to stay,be gracious and act like a lady..Just some advice ;)

The Triple Filter Test

 

During the golden Abbasid period, one of the scholars in Baghdad, the capital of Muslim caliphate at that time, was reputed to hold knowledge in high esteem. One day an acquaintance met the great scholar and said, "Do you know what I just heard about your friend?"

  "Hold on a minute," the scholar replied. "Before telling me anything I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called the Triple Filter Test." 

"Triple filter?"

  "That's right," the scholar continued. "Before you talk to me about my friend it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what you're going to say. That's why I call it the triple filter test. The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?"

  "No," the man said, "actually I just heard about it and.." 

"All right," said the scholar. "So you don't really know if it's true or not. Now let's try the second filter, the filter of goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?" 

"No, on the contrary..."

  "So," the scholar continued, "you want to tell me something bad about him, but you're not certain it's true. You may still pass the test though, because there's one filter left: the filter of usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?" 

"No, not really." 

"Well," concluded the scholar, "if what you want to tell me is neither true nor good nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?"

 

"O ye who believe! Let not some men among you laugh at others: It may be that the (latter) are better than the (former)" ... (to end of surah) Hujurat 49.12

"And spy not on each other behind their backs..." (to end of surah) Hujurat 49.13

 

Praise be to Allah that we are Muslims...

The Plight of Muslims Around the World

Ramadhaan and Eid came and went, we fasted, prayed, ate then celebrated, ate some more and then ... life resumed.

Through all of this, Muslims in Syria still faced death and destruction on a daily basis. Then recently, Egypt broke out into protests and the stories which emerged were just one more gruesome than the next.

Although I try to stay away from disturbing imagery recently, sometimes you just come across something on a social network by chance and it really does knock me really hard.

These are some of the sad and heartbreaking  pictures I have come across

 

 Syria

(after a 'chemical attack' claimed the lives of many children)

 

Egypt

 

Link to a Muslimahs tale :Teaching myself how not to lose hope: Amr Kassem

 

Most of us are unable to physically be there and help our Muslim brothers and sisters, though sometimes we may just want to reach into the screen and grab the child in it to comfort him. But nothing stops us from helping them in other ways; from making dua for them to sending money/resources through legitimate organisations.

Appreciate the little ordinary bits of daily life, something these people may have a vague memory of and some may never see. And remember to always say "Alhamdulillah for my life" because no matter how bad it may seem, there's never a time we have nothing to be grateful for.

Exams Are Over

We tumbled out of the exam hall with great haste trying to get as far away from that agonising place. Grateful that it was all over we ran around slapping one another on the back and wishing ourselves good-luck. I saw Paul running to me with great excitement.

“It’s over, man!!” he exclaimed, his large frame towering over me, “What a week, but damn it, it’s over.”

“Yup, it’s been a rough week, but all over,” I answered, “Never want to see another exam in my life!”

“So what you going to do now,” I asked, half knowing the answer after spending six years with Paul at medical school.

“I, my good friend, am going to have a great party tonight. And I am going to drink till I pass out. Then I’ll deal with tomorrow...,” he shouted as he rushed off to greet another classmate.

I felt a little jealous that he could go out and have a great party, do the things he wanted without restrictions. I felt cheated that after having gone through the same agonising week I could not “Just do it!” For me I knew it would be a night of supper with my parents, and then sit with the guys and talk rubbish until the late hours of the morning. Our greatest crime of the night being a couple of cigarettes and some serious junk food.

I didn’t hear about Paul until our class reunion 15 years later. It was a noisy affair with everyone struggling to get their best medical school story remembered. We recounted the strange doings of medical students and some very embarrassing moments like when Jakes fainted onto the patient while examining her and when Jonathan in his nervousness asked a male patient how many times he had been pregnant. Each story brought rounds of raucous laughter until I asked: “Guys, whatever happened to Paul...Paulie....tall guy..er..Sterling”

A hush fell over the table like a damp blanket silencing even the clinking of the cutlery; I shifted awkwardly in my chair. Nervous as an accused in the dock I looked at the silent faces around me not knowing what to say next until Jonathan explain in almost hushed tones... Paul went out drinking that night and got involved in a drunken brawl in which he stabbed a man, he was sentenced to two years in prison and when he got out he was hooked on drugs and committed suicide three years later.

I left the function early that night, my head still quivering with the news of Paul and went straight to my mother’s house. I hugged her a little tighter than usual and she looked at me quizzically but didn’t say a word. Somehow mothers know what lives in their children’s hearts. I then went home and sat at my little daughter’s bedside for a long time. Her sleeping face radiated innocence and I prayed that Allah Ta’ala would give her parents the ability to raise her as my parents had raised us. Despite the pressures of modernisation to change their attitudes they always taught me what was Islamically correct and guided me to the path of Deen.

Sitting in the dim light of her room imagining the pure thoughts and dreams floating in her head and I thanked Allah Ta’ala that He guided us to a path that was filled with benefits in this world and the next. A path that may seem restrictive or narrow, seemingly devoid of the ‘pleasures’ of this world, but one which gave a person dignity and honour in this world, safety and protection at the time of leaving this world, and eternal happiness in the Hereafter. I shivered, not so much from the coolness of the evening, but with the thought of what could have happened to me if I had I joined Paul that night. Would I also have seen my life destroyed in the pursuit of a few moments of pleasure? Rather the restriction of a few moments and pleasure for eternity; than a brief sojourn in luxury and the displeasure of Allah Ta’ala. I kissed my daughter on her tiny forehead and filled with gratitude of being Muslim and recollected a Hadith that explained this better I could ever do:

Abu Musa (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "The guidance and knowledge with which Allah has sent me are like abundant rain which fell on a land. A fertile part of it absorbed the water and brought forth profuse herbage and pasture; and solid ground patches which retained the water by which Allah has benefited people, who drank from it, irrigated their crops and sowed their seeds; and another sandy plane which could neither retain the water nor produce herbage. Such is the similitude of the person who becomes well-versed in the religion of Allah and receives benefit from the Message entrusted to me by Allah, so he himself has learned and taught it to others; such is also the similitude of the person who has stubbornly and ignorantly rejected Allah's Guidance with which I have been sent.'' (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Taken from eislam.co.za