Repentance

All of us sin. None of us are perfect. The question is, after we sin, do we sincerely repent to Allah, and do our utmost to not repeat the sin, or do we stop caring that we're sinning. 

Our hearts harden so fast when we sin. The first time we do something bad, our conscience is screaming at us and we feel really guilty. The second time we do it, we feel less guilty. And when we keep repeating the sin, soon it doesn't even matter to us that its wrong.

But indeed, I am the Perpetual Forgiver of whoever repents and believes and does righteousness and then continues in guidance. 20:82

Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah . Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful."


Allah is Al Ghaffar. He is always and constantly forgiving His slaves who repent to Him, and believe in Him and do good deeds. We should never despair of Allah's mercy. Even if you've done the worst things imaginable, don't think that you're totally lost. Turn to Allah, He is the Most Forgiving.


I read some really amazing stories about Muslims in the past at http://kalamullah.com/repentance.html Check it out!

MuslimMatters

Just wanted to share this amazing website with everyone:

www.muslimmatters.org

It is an amazing group blog which is continously being updated with awesome articles on every Islamic topic you can think of. And the really cool thing is its totally up to date with today's problems etc. You can really spend hours reading on that site. Please do check it out...

Death

We get so caught up sometimes in our day to day lives. In movies, books, games, with our friends etc. Personally, I've been watching movie after movie now that the holidays have started. Yeah, we all know that we are put on this Earth to serve Allah, but we forget. We forget that all this will pass away; none of it lasts. We forget that this is only temporary, that all too soon, it will fade. What have we done with our lives that has meaning? What have we done for Islam? What have we done for mankind? 

"Know that the life of this world is but amusement and diversion and adornment and boasting to one another and competition in increase of wealth and children - like the example of a rain whose [resulting] plant growth pleases the tillers; then it dries and you see it turned yellow; then it becomes [scattered] debris. And in the Hereafter is severe punishment and forgiveness from Allah and approval. And what is the worldly life except the enjoyment of delusion." (57:20)

Its so easy to forget that Allah created us for a purpose.

Its so easy to forget that Allah has made us the Khaleefa on this Earth.

Its so easy to forget that we will die, whether it be right now, in an hour or in ten years, all of us will die.

What are we going to answer on the Day of Judgement when Allah asks us how we spent our free time? How we spent our wealth? How we spent our health? How we spent our youth? How we spent all the things Allah has blessed us with?

When was the last time you remembered death?

Ask yourself right now, are you ready to die?

Death seems so far away, yet in reality it could be right around the corner.

Be prepared for death.

Exam Fever

Sigh... its that time again. Look around and you'll see a mixture of students stressing, frantically burying themselves in piles of notes and some not studying at all. Yup, its exam time!


Personally, I'm wondering when it will end. Don't get me wrong, I love university, but I mean seriously, this exam thing is getting really old. We've been taking exams since kindergarten, and its still painful. So, to alleviate my utter boredom, and to take a much needed break from the horrors of studying, I decided to compose a list of really awesome studying tips.

Planning for Exams

1. Well, I've been told (multiple times) that making a schedule is a good idea. Never works for me. If it does for you, well that's tip #1. If not move to the next.

2. Read through your notes. This will give you an idea of how much you have to study, where your weaknesses are (and if your weakness is the entire syllabus, don't panic, take a deep breath, and get started), what the important topics are etc.

3. Divide out your work. Don't leave everything for the last minute (yup, learnt this the hard way in today's exam)

The Studying

1. Ok, Rule Number Satu (1), eliminate all distractions. If this means taking drastic action like turning your phone off and locking it in your drawer, so be it. Don't worry, it's scientifically proven that it is possible to survive without a mobile phone...

2. I read about this really great technique for studying called the pomodoro technique. What you do is take a timer, or alarm, and set it for 25 minutes. During those 25 minutes, put your full concentration in what you're studying. As soon as the alarm rings, take a five minute break. Repeat. Every four times you repeat, take a longer break. I love this technique!

3. Wherever possible, try to understand the work rather than memorizing. It will stick way longer in your head this way.

4. Using memory aids. If your studying consists of a lot of necessary memorization try techniques for memorization. Each person has their own unique way of remembering stuff. Experiment with different techniques such as mnemonics, making mental images etc. Be creative (or you could just look up memory aids on Google, but where's the fun in that???)
One of my ways of memorizing stuff is to make it into a song to the tune of a nursery rhyme. (Caution: Do not do this out loud when your roommate/siblings are around... it can be potentially embarrassing!)

5. Make your own notes. Even if you are studying from a textbook or printed notes, writing important things down will really help.

6. Teach it to someone else.Whether its your eager young sister/brother, your long suffering roommate or even to an imaginary audience, teaching your subject will really make it stick in your head.

The Exam (Sudden boom of thunder)

1. Make lots and lots of dua. Start your exam with Bismillah.

2. Skim through the questions.

3. Answer all the easy peasy questions first.

4. Keep a close eye on the clock. Preferably bring your own watch, just in case you're seated waaay behind.

5. Don't panic.

6. Bring enough stationary. Do you know how annoying it is when your only eraser falls off the desk and rolls away during a multiple choice exam?

Other Studying Musts

1. Before your exam make lots of dua for both you and your friends, and everyone taking the exam.

2. If you have time, pray Nafl (voluntary) prayers.

3. Make sure your intention is right. Ultimately you should be doing this exam to please Allah.

4. When things get extremely frustrating or extremely boring or extremely annoying (well you get the picture),   remind yourself of the reason you are taking these exams.

5. Take frequent breaks. For every hour of studying, take about ten minutes off.

6. Stay healthy. Trust me, its no fun being sick during the exam. Keep your habits healthy, eat breakfast, don't study too late at night, and make sure to eat healthy.

7. DO NOT STRESS!!! Stressing is counter productive, don't even study with friends who stress too much. Stress is a contagious disease.

8. If you ignored above rule, and are totally stressed out and depressed, stop studying. Take some deep breaths and do something else. Personally, I find that a really good therapy for depression is to stand in front of the mirror and smile. Or make funny faces. Jumping up and down a couple of times works as well. Just don't blame me if your roommate has sudden concerns for your sanity.

Anyways, so that is a (not so) brief guide to studying. The most important thing is to do the best that you can, put your maximum effort into it, and then leave the rest to Allah. And don't worry if even after eons of studying, you still didn't do as well as you wanted to. There is Hikmah (wisdom) behind everything that happens. Be patient, Inshaallah, Allah will grant you something even better.

All the best for your exams!!!

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Do you love writing? Have an old essay, article or short story that you did for an assignment? Want to share your opinions with the Ummah? Send your writings to HennaMQ@gmail.com, and Inshaallah I'll post it up a.s.a.p.

We the Consumers

"According to statistics from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the total number of patent applications around the world in 2010 is estimated to have been 1.86 million, and about 1.5% of them were filed in OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation)* member countries. USA, Japan, China, and Korea Republic accounted for about 69% of the total patent applications in the world."

*OIC stands for Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. The organisation attempts to be the collective voice of the Ummah and attempts to safeguard the interests and ensure the progress and well-being of Muslims. It has 57 member states, pretty much all the Muslim countries including the Middle East, the Muslim countries of Africa and the Far East (including Malaysia) and some countries with a large Muslim population.

According to the figures above, Muslims are lagging way behind compared to other countries when it comes to scientific advancement and research. This, brothers and sisters, is one of the major problems with the Muslim Ummah today. Where are our inventors, our scientists? Our researchers, our pioneering leaders in all fields? What exactly, have we, the Muslims of today, contributed to this world???

 Apple products. They're just so creative and make everything so much easier. Where is the Steve Jobs of the Muslim Ummah?

Microsoft Windows, the most widespread operating system. Where is the Bill Gates of the Muslim Ummah?

Facebook... need I say more? Where is the Mark Zuckerburg of the Muslim Ummah?

Here's the thing. A civilization is not called civilized by the number of skyscrapers it has (so pleaaaseee lets stop competing in trying to build the tallest tower in the world, its ridiculous really). What really makes a civilization is the art, the technology, the knowledge, the actual brains of the people and the uses they put them to. A civilization with no intellectual growth... is dead. I know that sounds morbid, but look at history, in fact lets look at Muslim history. The Golden Age of Islam. A period of amazing intellectual activity, the beautiful architecture, medicine, inventions, astronomy... and then it ended. There are many reasons for that, one of them is the fact that we became less concerned with intellectual growth and more concerned with power and wealth. A nation will only lead in power, when they lead in intellect.

I'm not trying to say that there are no Muslims doing amazing work. There are. But what the majority of us (and I definitely include myself) have turned into is a passive consumer culture. As much as we gripe about how Western influence is so bad and how they are forcing their values onto us, we pretty much sit back and take it, and not only that, we beg for more. 

Allah has blessed us with brains. Allah has blessed many of us with money. (Where on earth is all that oil revenue in Saudi going to???) Allah has blessed us, that we're living in an age where the world is at our fingertips. Allah will ask us on the Day of Judgement what we did with all these blessings. 

All of us have the capability to do something meaningful with our lives. You don't have to be a rocket scientist or a noble prize winner to make a difference in the world. Be creative. Find new ways to contribute to the world.

Change starts with you.

Note: Statistics obtained from Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. You can check out the full report here: http://www.sesric.org/files/article/436.pdf

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Assalamualaikum. Do you have an article, short story, poem etc. that you would like to share with the Muslim Ummah? Send it to HennaMQ@gmail.com, and Inshaallah I'll post it up. Please do leave your feedback and criticism, and ways to improve. Thank you.

Snow White: A Muslim Princess (Part Three)

A cloud passed over the full moon, temporarily casting the cottage into utter darkness. A group of five men made their way toward the small cottage, across the carefully tended garden, trampling over the sweet smelling flowers planted in neat rows. They peered through the window, making out the candlelit interior of the cottage. It was poorly furnished, having only a small stove and a bed. The most distinguishing feature of the room were the many books lining the otherwise bare walls. There were two women in the room, blissfully unaware of the evil intent of their silent observers.The woman closer to the window was rather old, resting her back against the bed, eyes closed, listening to the younger woman read out from a beautifully decorated book. The tallest man's eyes lit up, pointing out the young woman to his gang. They crept towards the door as quietly as they could, trying to avoid even the remote possibility of attracting the attention of any villager who happened to be passing by at this late hour.



Snow White looked up from the Ayah she had just finished. She thought she had heard something outside. Closing the Quran, she gently placed it on a shelf and put on her Hijab. Shaking her head slightly at the old cook's questioning look, she walked up to the door and put her ear to it. She could just barely hear a whispering voice and a bit of scuffling. She hurriedly turned to the anxious cook,

"Khala, my stepmother must have finally decided I am too much of a threat to her. The men outside are only after me, there is no need for you to get hurt as well."

"I am not going to let them take you, we can hide or try to fight."

"There is not enough time, they already know we are here, and there are at least three of them. I don't want you to get hurt. Please Khala, none of them, not even the Queen herself, can harm me if Allah does not allow them to do so."

The cook looked as if she was about to protest but then sighed, tears sparkling in her eyes, "You are right Habeebti. Inshaallah, this will all work out all right in the end."

Snow White hugged the cook, "Don't be sad, Allah loves those who are patient. Please take care of yourself, I love you so very much."

And with that the men came bursting into the small room, wielding sharp knives that glinted in the candlelight, roughly pulling Snow White away from the pious woman who loved her as if she was her own daughter.

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Assalamualaikum. Please do comment and leave criticism. And do check out the other articles on this site, there are some really nice articles written by another brother and sister. If you have any articles, short stories or pretty much any type of writing relevant to Islam, please share it with all of us. Just send it to me at HennaMQ@gmail.com, and Inshaallah I'll post it up. Althought this site is aimed mostly at students, anybody can submit stuff. And please do make Dua for the Ummah.

Snow White: A Muslim Princess (Part Two)

                                             
It started after the Queen banished the local Imam to a faraway land after he gave a Khutbah against her. A whisper at first, it grew louder and louder. Men would discuss it as they planted maize in the fields. Women would chat about it as they cooked dinner for their families. Even children would excitedly tell their friends about it, proud to be the first to know the latest news. Rebellion was on every villager’s mind and tongue. Slowly, but surely, a plan started to form.

Their plan was to storm the castle, get rid of the unjust queen, and to put their rightful ruler, Snow White on the throne. It was very dangerous, yes, but the villagers were tired of suffering under the evil Queen’s harsh law and excessive taxes. They had watched Snow White grow up into a strong, courageous woman, and every villager, from the smallest baby, to the oldest bedridden being loved her and respected her.

Unfortunately, rumours of this daring scheme reached the Queen’s ears. She immediately sent her guards to arrest the ringleaders of the plot and had them publically executed. She then issued a proclamation, enforcing a curfew and banning

any gatherings, benign or otherwise on penalty of death.

Heavily armed guards were stationed throughout the village to enforce her law.

With the villagers forced into submission, she then turned to the ever growing problem of Snow White. She had seen the way the villagers had taken her as their leader, and the way she was universally loved. She realized that the villagers would not remain silent for long; it was only a matter of time before they rose up against her once again. She decided that the only way to make her position on the throne secure was to remove Snow White from the equation.

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Truth and Justice

Truth, Haqq in Arabic, is totally opposite from falsehood and ignorance. Truth is hard to define as it has so many aspects, but broadly it can be defined as honesty and sincerity, facts and reality, accuracy and certainty.

In Islam, truth is given a very high position. One of the ninety-nine names of Allah is Al Haqq. Truth refers to the metaphysical realities of this world. That there is a Creator and that we are here to worship Him. That there is a life after death. That there are angels, revelation, messengers and prophets. The Ghaib (unseen) is part of this Truth. Muslims are required to be truthful and honest in every aspect of their lives. Truth is mentioned numerous times in the Quran, both as referring to the realities of this world and the importance of being truthful, for example:

“Verily, We have sent thee [O Prophet] with the truth, as a bearer of glad tidings and a warner: and thou shalt not be held accountable for those who are destined for the blazing fire.” (2:119)

“Thus it is, because God alone is the Ultimate truth, so that all that men invoke beside Him is sheer falsehood, and because God alone is Exalted, Great!” (22:62)

“O you who believe!  Have fear of God, and be among the truthful.” (Quran 9:119)

“And do not overlay the truth with falsehood, and do not knowingly suppress the truth” (2:42)

We can also find the importance of Truth in the Sunnah:

The Prophet (SAW) said, "Truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Paradise. And a man keeps on telling the truth until he becomes a truthful person. Falsehood leads to Al-Fajur (i.e. wickedness, evil-doing), and Al-Fajur (wickedness) leads to the (Hell)Fire, and a man may keep on telling lies till he is written before Allah, a liar." Sahih Bukhari Volume 8, Book 73, Number 116

Ibn Al Qayyim said: “Truthfulness is the greatest of stations, from it sprout all the various stations of those traversing the path to God; and from it sprouts the upright path which if not trodden, perdition is that person’s fate.  Through it is the hypocrite distinguished from the believer and the inhabitant of Paradise from the denizen of Hell.  It is the sword of God in His earth: it is not placed on anything except that it cuts it; it does not face falsehood expect that it hunts it and vanquishes it; whoever fights with it will not be defeated; and whoever speaks it, his word will be made supreme over his opponent.”

Our Prophet, peace be upon him, was always truthful. When he first called openly to the Quraish to testify to the Oneness of Allâh and believe in his Messengership and the Day of Resurrection, he was standing on the hill Al Safa.

 “The Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) ascended Mount As-Safa and started to call: "O Bani Fahr! O Bani 'Adi (two septs of Quraish)." Many people gathered and those who couldn't, sent somebody to report to them. Abu Lahab was also present. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: "You see, if I were to tell you that there were some horsemen in the valley planning to raid you, will you believe me?" They said: "Yes, we have never experienced any lie from you."(The Sealed Nectar, Saifur Rahman al-Mubarakpuri)

Even though the Quraish did not initially accept the Prophet’s (SAW) message, they still recognized him as a very truthful man.

Truth is very important in our lives. If we did not know the Truth about this world, that Allah is our Master, and that we are His slaves, we would surely be lost. If people were not truthful, the world would be full of deceit and lies. You would not be able to trust anyone, and values such as mercy, compassion, generosity, would all vanish. Therefore, truth is a huge part of Islam.

Justice, or Adl, can be defined as fairness or reasonableness, especially in the way people are treated or decisions are made. It can also refer to the legal system, or the act of applying or upholding the law. Justice is also valued highly in Islam. Allah is the Best of Judges, He is always Just. He is  Al-'Adl.

Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to whom they are due and when you judge between people to judge with justice. Excellent is that which Allah instructs you. Indeed, Allah is ever Hearing and Seeing. (4:58)

Is not Allah the most just of judges? (95:8)

And do not consume one another's wealth unjustly or send it [in bribery] to the rulers in order that [they might aid] you [to] consume a portion of the wealth of the people in sin, while you know [it is unlawful]. (2:188)

These are just a few of the numerous verses in the Quran that have to with justice, there are many Hadiths dealing with justice as well:

“There are seven categories of people whom God will shelter under His shade on the Day when there will be no shade except His. [One is] the just leader.”(Saheeh Muslim)

Allah spoke to His Messenger (PBUH) in this manner: “O My slaves, I have forbidden injustice for Myself and forbade it also for you. So avoid being unjust to one another.” (Saheeh Muslim)

As we can see justice is a very important aspect of Islam. If we look at the story of Prophet Sulaiman (alayhis salam), who Allah had granted justice and wisdom, we can see the way justice should be:

Once there were two women, each of whom had a child. One of their children was eaten by a wolf, and they both claimed that the remaining child was theirs. They brought the case to Dawood (alayhis salam) and he judged that the older woman should have the remaining child. Then they went to Prophet Sulaiman (alayhis salam). He called for a knife so that he could cut the child into two halves, one half for each woman. The younger woman, whose child it really was, didn’t want to see her child harmed, so she cried out that the child was the other older woman’s. Prophet Sulaiman (alayhis salam) then gave the child to the younger woman.

In the Quran (21: 78), the story of another judgement of Sulaiman’s is mentioned. A man’s flock of sheep went into a farmer’s field, and destroyed the crops. The case was brought before Dawood (alayhis salam), who gave the flock of sheep to the farmer as compensation for the damage. But Prophet Sulaiman (alayhis salam) suggested that the farmer would keep the sheep and use their milk and wool, until the herdsman had restored the damaged field to its original condition. When that had been done, the flock would be returned to the herdsman. In this way, the herdsman would not be ruined, and the farmer would be satisfied as well.

If there was absolutely no justice in the world, this world would be filled with even more chaos and corruption than there already is. To make this world a better place, each of us have to deal justly with others. Every little bit counts, and Inshaallah if every person on the planet were to deal justly with others, dishonesty, foul play, corruption, fraud etc. would all disappear. This is the power of Justice.

Many people say life is not fair. Some people have everything while others have nothing. Some criminals get away with the most heinous of crimes, while innocent people are punished. Some people have disabilities, while others don’t. Some people are wealthy beyond imagination while others are dirt poor. So it is true, life is not fair. It is not just. But Allah is Just. On the Day of Judgment, Allah will fully recompense everyone for all the injustices they suffered. For He is the most just of judges.