Top American Surgeon Embraces Islam – Dr. Lawrence Brown July 4, 2009
Posted by ibn1brahim in Islam, Islam Muslim, Videos.add a comment
The following is an interview with a man, who discusses his journey from atheism to the religion of Islam.
Courtesy of http://www.thedeenshow.com
Rizq of Brotherhood – Surah al-Hashr May 23, 2009
Posted by ibn1brahim in 059. Surah al-Hashr, AlMaghrib Institute, Audio, Companions, Du'a, History, Islam, Islam Muslim, Masjid, Masjid Tawheed, Mishary Rashid al-Afasy, Qur'an, Reciters, Salah, Tafsir, Yaser Birjas.add a comment
Certain ayaat from Suratul Hashr were on my mind yesterday, the ones about the brotherhood, and Sheikh Ibrahim recited that very surah in salah today. Sheikh Yaser Birjas once told us during a brothers QA session that rizq is more than just money, but rather it includes other blessings, including your wife, kids, etc. Alhamdulillah, I’ve been fortunate enough to come across some brothers who are amazing, mashaAllah, who exemplify the ayaat and ahadeeth about brotherhood we come across so often, particularly between the Muhajiroon and Ansaar. It reinforces the idea that reading a book will never compare to the actual emotion and experience.
For the poor emigrants who were expelled from their homes and their properties, seeking bounty from Allah and [His] approval and supporting Allah and His Messenger, [there is also a share]. Those are the truthful.
And [also for] those who were settled in al-Madinah and [adopted] the faith before them. They love those who emigrated to them and find not any want in their breasts of what the emigrants were given but give [them] preference over themselves, even though they are in privation. And whoever is protected from the stinginess of his soul – it is those who will be the successful.
And [there is a share for] those who came after them, saying, “Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith and put not in our hearts [any] resentment toward those who have believed. Our Lord, indeed You are Kind and Merciful.”
[Hashr: 8-10]
Tafsir: Virtues of the Muhajiroon and Ansaar, Selflessness of the Ansaar
It was narrated that al-Nu’maan ibn Basheer said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“The believers, in their mutual mercy, love and compassion, are like a (single) body; if one part of it feels pain, the rest of the body will join it in staying awake and suffering fever.”
تَرَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فِي تَرَاحُمِهِمْ وَتَوَادِّهِمْ وَتَعَاطُفِهِمْ كَمَثَلِ الْجَسَدِ إِذَا اشْتَكَى عُضْوًا تَدَاعَى لَهُ سَائِرُ جَسَدِهِ بِالسَّهَرِ وَالْحُمَّى
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5665; Muslim, 2586.
Preparing for the Hereafter – Surah at-Takweer April 23, 2009
Posted by ibn1brahim in Audio, Islam, Islam Muslim, Masjid, Masjid Tawheed, Mishary Rashid al-Afasy, Qur'an, Reciters.1 comment so far
During the first rak’ah of Maghrib salah at Masjid Tawheed, Shaikh Ibrahim recited Surah at-Takweer. He recited in such a way that it kept your ears open, waiting for him reach the verse of interest. When he reached that verse, he recited it twice:
When the sun is wrapped up [in darkness]
And when the stars fall, dispersing,
And when the mountains are removed
And when full-term she-camels are neglected
And when the wild beasts are gathered
And when the seas are filled with flame
And when the souls are paired
And when the girl [who was] buried alive is asked
For what sin she was killed
And when the pages are made public
And when the sky is stripped away
And when Hellfire is set ablaze
And when Paradise is brought near,
A soul will [then] know what it has brought [with it].
مَنْ أَصْبَحَ وَالدُّنْيَا أَكْبَرُ هَمِّهِ شَتَّتَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ شَمْلَهُ وَفَرَّقَ عَلَيْهِ ضَيْعَتَهُ وَلَمْ يَأْتِهِ مِنْ الدُّنْيَا إلَّا مَا كُتِبَ لَهُ .
وَمَنْ أَصْبَحَ وَالْآخِرَةُ أَكْبَرُ هَمِّهِ جَمَعَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ شَمْلَهُ وَجَعَلَ غِنَاهُ فِي قَلْبِهِ ؟ وَأَتَتْهُ الدُّنْيَا وَهِيَ رَاغِمَةٌ
(الْحَدِيثِ الْمَرْفُوعِ الَّذِي رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ)
“Whoever wakes up and this world is his main concern, Allaah will make him scattered and shattered, and he will feel a sense of panic and loss, and he will get nothing of this world except that which was already decreed for him. But whoever gets up and is mostly concerned about the Hereafter, Allaah will cause him to feel focused and content, and will give him a feeling of being independent, and worldly gains will come to him willingly or unwillingly.”
(Marfoo’ hadeeth which was narrated by al-Tirmidhi)
أَنْتَ مُحْتَاجٌ إلَى الدُّنْيَا وَأَنْتَ إلَى نَصِيبِك مِنْ الْآخِرَةِ أَحْوَجُ
فَإِنْ بَدَأْت بِنَصِيبِك مِنْ الْآخِرَةِ مَرَّ عَلَى نَصِيبِك مِنْ الدُّنْيَا فَانْتَظَمَهُ انْتِظَامًا
(قَالَ بَعْضُ السَّلَفِ)
“You are in need of this world but you are in greater need of your share of the Hereafter. If you start with your share of the Hereafter, then your share of this world will automatically come with it.”
(Scholar of the past)
May Allah help us to remember Him, to be grateful to Him and worship Him properly.
Names of Allah Resource April 9, 2009
Posted by ibn1brahim in 99 Names of Allah, AlMaghrib Institute, Locations (Qaba'il/Tribes), Qabeelat Nurayn (D.C. Area).add a comment
Courtesy of http://tayyibaat.wordpress.com/
501 Quotes from AlMaghrib Instructors February 26, 2009
Posted by ibn1brahim in AlMaghrib Institute, Instructors.7 comments
501 Quotes from AlMaghrib Instructors
“Spicy food helps make you a better person.” – Shaykh Yasir Qadhi, Precious Provisions, QDurbah
Smile! Your teeth are not awrah. – Shaykh Waleed Basyouni
“Allah won’t judge them [other Muslims] according to your knowledge. Allah will judge them by their own knowledge!” – Yasir Qadhi, Precious Provisions, QDurbah
“the Qur’an is like a treasure trapped in a glass receptacle; mankind can view and benefit from this treasure, but they are in need of tafseer, for tafseer acts like the key that unlocks the treasure, so that mankind can benefit from it to the greatest possible extent.” Yasir Qadhi
Waste no time debating what a good Muslim should be. Be one! — Sheikh Muhammad Alshareef
“Don’t hate the playa, hate the game. [Pause]…did I say it right?” – Dr. Waleed Basyouni, Rays of Faith, Qabeelat Mubeen (after class) ____
“Your life is either an example or a warning.”
– Muhammad al-Shareef (Breach of Covenant: Toronto Nov.2007)
“We know what kind of underwear Michel Jordan has on but we don’t know what the things Rasul Allah saaw used to do.” Sh.AbdulBary TPS tour Nuryan (talking about how much we know about cele. and not enough about Rasul Allah saaw)
“When one joins Almaghrib and joins a Qabeela, they join a family, a family of learning Islam together.” Shaykh Muhammad Alshareef
We should give Islam like the UPS guy, with a smile and without changing the package.
-AbdulBary Yahya The Shepherd’s Path
“Ask Allah to put you in a place where you can benefit and benefit others. Ask Him to make your situation better. Sometimes in your heart, you might not want to move to a particular place, but it might be better for you or for a greater good. Have trust in Allah and remember appearences are not everything.” -Sh. AbdulBary Yahya
“If a person’s intention is not pure then he will keep praising himself. When a person praises himself, it turns people off. Humility attracts people and ilm with pure niyyah teaches you to be humble.”–Sh. Waleed Basyouni
“If you do not study the past, you can not appreciate the present, and you can never contribute anything towards the future.” ~Yaser Birjas (January 23, ’09. Heavenly Hues)
Surah al-Qalam – Maher al-Mueaqly February 12, 2009
Posted by ibn1brahim in 068. Surah al-Qalam, Audio, Islam, Islam Muslim, Maher al-Mueaqly, Qur'an, Reciters.1 comment so far
A man who wishes he could make just one sajdah…
Download mp3 | English Translation
The Day the shin will be uncovered and they are invited to prostration but the disbelievers will not be able, Their eyes humbled, humiliation will cover them. And they used to be invited to prostration while they were sound.
[al-Qalam 68: 42-43]
Muslimat Al Nisaa: Shelter our Sisters! January 30, 2009
Posted by ibn1brahim in AlMaghrib Institute, Homeless, Islam, Islam Muslim, Qabeelat Nurayn (D.C. Area), Sadaqah (Charity).add a comment
Bismillah walhamdulillah
[Written by Amatullah]
If you do not live in the Maryland-DC-Virginia area then you’ve probably never heard of Muslimat Al Nisaa. Before mentioning what this organization is, I’d like to bring to your attention a fact that many Muslims fail to recognize: there is such a thing as a homeless Muslim.
Homelessness does not discriminate.
For some strange reason, the problem of homelessness in the Muslim community is not discussed nor are solutions found by masajid for families who are struggling with homelessness. I can count on one hand the organizations that cater specifically for homeless Muslims, and even less are those that have a home/shelter for them.
It is a sad fact that most of these homeless Muslims are sisters with children, who have no family to seek assistance from. How do these sisters end up homeless? For many reasons, a few of them being: rejection of family after conversion to Islam, sisters who face physical abuse, sisters from overseas who are forced to provide for their households without job skills and sisters marrying men from overseas who desert them after receiving a green card.
Muslimat Al Nisaa is a homeless women’s shelter based in Baltimore, Maryland which has recently opened its first home called the Muslim Women’s Center (MWC), alhamdulillah. Sister Asma Hanif and sister Maryam Funches officially began working to create a full time shelter for women: non Muslim and Muslim alike in 2005. In 2007, sister Maryam Funches passed away, may Allah ta’ala have mercy upon her, Ameen, and now this organization is run by sister Asma Hanif. Video on Muslimat Al Nisaa.
This past summer, during Sacred Scrolls with Shaykh Yasir Qadhi and Imam Suhaib Webb in Qabeelat Nurayn, we organized a donation and items drive for Muslimat Al Nisaa and alhamdulillah we were very successful and exceeded our goals, having raised more than $3000 and two trunk loads worth of non-perishable food items and toiletries in one weekend. Alhamdulillah sister Asma recognizes AlMaghrib Institute as one of the shelter’s supporters and we greatly appreciate this gesture from her and the organization. Imam Suhaib discussed with us many stories that he has dealt with concerning homeless Muslims and we thank him for enlightening us with a topic that is taboo to discuss.
It is disappointing knowing that we as Muslims turn our own sisters away, and they end up going to non Muslim organizations where many of them end up being harassed for their Islam.
What does Islam teach us?
- One of the themes we learn from Suratun Nisaa is that we have an obligation to help the weak of the society. “And what is wrong with you that you fight not in the Cause of Allah for those weak, ill-treated and oppressed among men, women, and children?“ (4:75)
- Allah ta’ala tells the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam: “And keep yourself patiently with those who call on their Rabb morning and afternoon, seeking His Face, and let not your eyes overlook them, desiring the pomp and glitter of the life of the world.” (18:28)
- The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said: “Whoever removes a worldly grief from a believer, Allah will remove from him one of the griefs of the Day of Judgment. Whosoever alleviates [the lot of] a needy person, Allah will alleviate [his lot] in this world and the next. Whosoever shields a Muslim, Allah will shield him in this world and the next. Allah will aid a servant [of His] so long as the servant aids his brother…”(Muslim)
- The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said: “A Muslim is a brother of (another) Muslim, he neither wrongs him nor does hand him over to one who does him wrong. If anyone fulfills his brother’s needs, Allah will fulfill his needs; if one relieves a Muslim of his troubles, Allah will relieve his troubles on the Day of Resurrection; and if anyone covers up a Muslim (his sins), Allah will cover him up (his sins) on the Resurrection Day”. (Bukhari and Muslim)
- Mus`ab bin Sa`d bin Abi Waqqas (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: Sa`d considered himself better than his inferiors, so the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said to him, “You are given help and provision because of your weak ones”. (Bukhari)
- The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, “O Allah, I declare inviolable the rights of two weak ones: the orphans and women”. (An-Nisaa’i)
How can you help?
1- Donate to Muslimat Al Nisaa. Many Muslims wonder why Islamic organizations “always” fundraise. Well my response to that is if we had a full fledged zakah and Islamic finance system in place, then these organizations would not need to fundraise, however this is not available to us and the only way these organizations can thrive in this country is with the help of their fellow Muslims. Do not let this dunya sway your heart from spending, nor let shaytan threaten you with poverty (2:268). The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam promised us that spending sadaqah does not decrease wealth (Muslim). Imagine it was our own mother or sister or aunt who was homeless, wouldn’t we want other Muslims to assist them to their utmost capability? How would you feel if they were turned away by their own masajid? Love for your brother what you love for yourself (Bukhari).
2- Spread the word! Alhamdulillah communication nowadays is very easy. The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said that a good word is a charity (Bukhari). So if you cannot donate to this cause, give a kalimatan tayyibah, a good word, and email this to others inshaAllah.
3- Find local organizations in your community that cater to homeless Muslims, and if there aren’t any, try and get your masjid involved in at least providing services to this underprivileged sector of the Muslim society. Furthermore, raise awareness by getting local speakers who know firsthand the real deal with homelessness, such as Imam Suhaib, to discuss this issue to an open forum or panel. Another shelter for women and children is Baitul Salam in Atlanta.
I promise you that there are many families who are in need of assistance in your community, whether you acknowledge it or not. The other day at the masjid, they announced that some Muslims passed away and they didn’t even have the funds for their own janaazah (Islamic burial)! SubhanAllah, brothers and sisters, how can we live in utter heedlessness of these people?! Why aren’t we doing anything? What would the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam say to us? What will we say to Allah azza wa jal on the Day of Judgment? Seriously think about these issues, and do whatever you can inshaAllah.
4-Use your weapon of duaa. “Is not He (best) Who responds to the distressed one, when he calls on Him, and Who removes the evil?” (27:62)
5-Any more ideas? Know any other organizations? Post in the comments!
May Allah ta’ala bless all the organizations such as Muslimat Al Nisaa, may He ta’ala alleviate their difficulties and may He make us among those who support and assist them in these trials, Ameen.
Jazakum Allahu khair! August 7, 2008
Posted by ibn1brahim in Islam.2 comments
Bismillah. Alhamdulillah. Was-salatu was-salamu ala Rasulillah.
The purpose of this blog was to get myself and others closer to Allah. If you have benefitted, then alhamdulillah, and let’s pray that Allah keeps us sincere to Him. A few closing remarks..
I remind myself and my brothers and sisters in Islam that we have duties to fulfill towards Allah (al-fara’id: obligatory duties), worshipping Him in sincerity. Let’s maintain our 5 daily prayers and our other obligations to Allah. We ask Allah to give us sabr to maintain consistency and to forgive us for our shortcomings. Also, I advice myself and you to maintain a normal schedule for ibaadaat (acts of worship), however small they may be, in order to get closer to Allah and gain knowledge of His deen. For example, 30 minutes before every Asr prayer, you will read 1/2 juz of the Qur’an or it’s translation, or you will read a few pages of Riyadus Saliheen and the translation.
Next, I would like to encourage myself and you to make the following du’a everyday after Fajr, as a reminder and asking for Allah’s assistance in this:
“O Allah! I ask You for knowledge which is beneficial and sustenance (rizq) which is good (tayyib; pure), and deeds which are acceptable.”
If a person were to memorize 1000 ahadith and not strive to act upon the knowledge gained, or if a person were to pray 1000 nawafil and not strive to have sincerity of intention, then these would be a source of regret on the Day of Judgement. Even the 40 ahadith of Imam an-Nawawi (ra) contain sufficient enough advice to benefit from. We will have shortcomings, but we ask Allah to keep us sincere and always trying to better ourselves.
Also, we should seek help from Allah with salatul-istikharah for important decisions we want to make, and if things get tough in life or we come across a difficulty to say the following du’a, continue to work hard and put our trust in Allah’s plan as long as we fulfill our duties towards Him:
“To Allah we belong and unto Him is our return. O Allah, recompense me for my affliction and replace it for me with something better.”
And Allah has promised to replace it with something better.
Also, in addition to fulfilling the rights towards Allah (and the rights that our body has on us, e.g. to keep ourselves healthy and strong), we should remember to have good akhlaq/character/behavior towards other people (i.e. the creation of Allah) and we will be accountable on the Day of Judgement with regards to our behavior with others. And I want to take this time to ask forgiveness for any wrongs I’ve done or said.
It really and truly scares me to be giving this advice because I am aware of my many shortcomings, but I hope we can be a support for each other to act upon the good and refrain from evil. And once a teacher and friend of mine told me: “The best way to learn is to teach.” Therefore, at times we’re not the best to give the advice, but it pushes us to improve ourselves.
Be a benefit to Islam through whatever service you can contribute. You don’t have to be a carbon copy of another, sit and think about what you can do and who you can reach out to. Give da’wah and be patient, as Luqman advised his son:
“O my son, establish prayer, enjoin what is right, forbid what is wrong, and be patient over what befalls you. Indeed, [all] that is of the matters [requiring] determination.”
[Luqman: 17]
I just wanna say jazakum Allahu khair to all the viewers for the past few months. There will be no regular posts for now.. stay tuned for future productions.. until next time, inshaAllah! And Ramadan Mubarak to you, inshaAllah!
Wa sallAllahu ala sayyidinaa Muhammad wa ala aalihi wa sahbihi wa sallam.
Your brother in Islam,
Khalil ibn Ibrahim
The Secret of Happiness August 7, 2008
Posted by ibn1brahim in Islam, Tazkiyah.1 comment so far
So important is the concept of ‘happiness’ in our lives that many people – even dating back to the days of the Greek philosophers – considered its pursuit to be the very purpose of existence.
Indeed, the Qur’an itself speaks of happiness as being one of the rewards of those whom Allah chooses to admit to Paradise. He says of the martyrs in Aal-’Imraan, verse 170,
فَرِحِينَ بِمَا آَتَاهُمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ
They rejoice in what Allah has bestowed upon them of His Bounty
And of the reward of the pious believers [al-Insaan, verse 11],
فَوَقَاهُمُ اللَّهُ شَرَّ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ وَلَقَّاهُمْ نَضْرَةً وَسُرُورًا
So, Allah saved them from the evil of that Day and gave them a light of beauty and joy.
What becomes immediately apparent upon reading the Arabic text (but once again obscured in the translation) is that two very different words have been used to convey the idea of happiness: فَرِحِينَ fariheena, which is conjugated from the noun فَرَح farah, and سُرُور suroor, and this is prevalent throughout the Qur’an. This is because there are two very different types of happiness being referred to.
فَرَح farah generally refers to transitory delights or pleasures, as is the case in bodily or worldly pleasure. For this reason, most times that فَرَح farah appears in the Qur’an, it is being censured, as in the story of Qarun [al-Qasas, verse 76],
إِنَّ اللهَ لا يُحِبُّ الَفِرحِينَ
Indeed, Allaah does not like the fariheen
But when the source of the farah is specified in the Qur’an, as in the verse from Aal-’Imraan mentioned above, the meaning becomes restricted (muqayyad) and it is no longer censured.
But perhaps a greater distinction between the two lies in the manifestation of the happiness. Whereas the expression of farah is external and with clear outward signs, suroor refers to the expansion of one’s heart with delight or pleasure wherein is quiet or tranquility, and as such it has no external sign. This is indicated by the root from which the word stems – س ر seen raa’ – the same root as the word سرّ sirr, or secret. So suroor is a secret happiness, known to one’s heart but not always seen by others, as Ibn ‘Abbas said in reference to the above verse from al-Insaan, “The نضرة nadrah is on their faces, and the سرور suroor is in their hearts.”
Such distinctions exemplify yet another example in which the translation fails and the original prevails.
Source: Arabic Gems
Gems of the Traveler 
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