What is Patience or Sabr?
And seek help with patience and Prayer; and this indeed is hard except for the humble in spirit. (Al Quran 2:46)
What is Sabr?
Sabr is suppressing that angry voice in your head, the one that wants to yell at people for being inconsiderate to your struggle.
Sabr is swallowing this angry voice, overcoming it, and learning to channel it towards a heartfelt du’a instead.
Sabr is forgiving someone when they dismiss your feelings.
Sabr is meeting those who deserted you, with a smile on your lips, even though your tears are one step away from exposing you.
Sabr is staying silent because you’ve already stated your point too many times before.
Sabr is conforming to someone’s demand because of their right over you.
Sabr is fulfilling the rights of others even when they transgress against yours.
Sabr is crying about your heartache in front of Allah and no one else.
Sabr is believing wholeheartedly that Allah has beautiful things in store for you.
Sabr is crawling forward even when you want to stop.
Sabr is not a theory to simply be discussed and forgotten; it is an active state of being alive.
And it is worth it. Every single second of it is so worth it because Allah loves the patient.
Sabr & Smile are the best alternatives & Patience & Prayer are the best tools of a believer!
Category: Articles
HIJRAH & THE CONTEMPORARY MUHAJIR
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| Blessings of KNOWLEDGE!Knowledge in Islam is a life-long JOURNEY!.. a person never stops searching for knowledge!
Those who acquire knowledge, it leads them to the greatest awareness of the Creator – Innama Yakhsha Allahu Min ‘Ibadihil ‘Ulama (35:28) Seeking it is an act of worship (‘ibadah) and an Intellectual jihad! Studying it is praising Allah! Teaching it to those who do NOT know is an act of charity (sadaqah)! Giving it to people draws one closer to them! Knowledge points to the permissible (Halaal) and the forbidden (haram) – what we are allowed and what NOT! It is a shining light pointing the way to paradise! It comforts the lonely! It befriends the estranged! It talks to you in seclusion! It is a guide through prosperity and adversity! And it is the best of friends! With knowledge, Allah raises people to high stations, making them leaders in goodness, whose steps are traced. Their example is emulated, their opinion followed. The angels like to sit with the people of knowledge. Knowledge gives life to the heart in the midst of ignorance, and illumines vision in the darkness. With knowledge, God’s servants become the elite and reach the highest degrees in this life and in the hereafter. Contemplation with knowledge is equivalent to fasting (sawm)! Spending time to study it is equivalent to standing at night in prayer (qiyam)! Through it the halaal and haraam are known! Knowledge precedes action (‘amal) and action always follows it! The fortunate ones attain it and much less-fortunate ones are deprived of it! O Allah! Help us to be the fortunate ones so that we attain this blessing in our lives! We beg of you NOT to deprive us of ‘ILM! |
| POSITIVE THINKING: WHAT IT MEANS?
Before putting the powers of positive thinking to work in one’s personal, family, professional, communal and societal life, one must first understand exactly what positive thinking is. By definition, the word positive means dealing with matters of fact; expressed clearly, or in a confident or decisive manner. However, in the concept of positive thinking, the word positive is meant to signify a manner of thinking: a manner that puts emphasis on processing thoughts in a more desirable, upbeat way. Positive thinking can be described as the practice of embracing the affirmative in our thoughts, our feelings, our actions, our reactions and our speech. Positive thinking can also be described as a type of attitude. Happy, optimistic people are usually described as having positive attitudes and expressing positive thoughts. People who consistently “look on the bright side” are utilizing positive thinking. Most importantly, positive thinking can be described as a skill that can be acquired by anyone. By learning the process of positive thinking, you can more easily reach your goals, whether they are personal goals or professional ones. So, now you know how to describe positive thinking, but what is it? Positive thinking is the act of reviewing thought processes and personal actions for areas that need improvement and for areas with negative implications, and then using the appropriate tools to change those thoughts or actions in a positive, goal-oriented way. Positive thinking is a discipline that trains the human mind to change a perceived reality by repeatedly making positive mental statements. A person practices positive thinking when they derive a positive sense of well being, optimism, belonging, meaning and/or purpose from being part of and contributing back to something larger and more permanent than themselves. Positive thinking is a process of choosing positive emotions from stimuli in the environment and applying them to perceptions and beliefs. The objective is to create an outlook that translates into a new or better chosen reality. |
| ETIQUETTE OF CELEBRATING EIDS
Muslims should celebrate their Eids in the best way they can. Here are some etiquette with which Eids should be celebrated:
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| When we hear a word ‘sacrifice’, we usually think of an animal sacrificed in the name of Almighty Allah, but sacrifice in its true sense means, ‘giving away something of immense value and importance for the sake of Allah alone.’
This something could be measurable like wealth, like time or could be immeasurable like feelings, opinions, likes and dislikes, pleasures and comforts, family ties or merely our own ego. For an act to be called a sacrifice, it must involve the giving away of something or someone we love most dearly and cherish wholeheartedly. The ritual known to us as sacrifice (Qurbani or Udhiyah) has a body and a soul. Its body, or form, is the act of slaughtering the animal. Its soul, or the truth about it, is to generate in one’s heart the supreme feeling of self-sacrifice. In Islam every act of ‘Ibadah has its body and its soul. Prayer has its soul, charity has its soul, fasting has its soul, pilgrimage has its soul, and the sacrifice has its soul, each distinct from the other. In short, to line up to the spirit of a particular ritual or act of worship, it is imperative to adopt the very form that Allah has ordained for it. Thus alone one can reach its soul. The very thing that Allah asks for sacrifice has to be sacrificed. The Qur’an is informing us: “By no means shall you attain Al Birr (piety, righteousness – Allah’s reward), unless you spend (in the Cause of Allah) of that which you love; and whatever of good you spend, Allah knows it well.” {Al ‘Imran 92} In Islam, the sacrifice stands for higher and nobler purpose and ideal. It nourishes and elevates the soul. It develops the personality of a person and refines his/her Nafs (inner-self). As Muslims, we must know that the Hajj and sacrifice, as all rituals of our Din have the meanings. We cannot be lost in the external form of the rituals. We cannot neglect those meanings. We have to make our duties to be the duties of concepts not merely the duties of rituals. One who does not realize what he/she is doing in these rituals and does not feel the spirit of it, for an example in Hajj, only brings back gifts from Makkah. The suitcase full, but ‘self’ empty! One who does not realize the meaning of sacrifice should know that Allah doesn’t need the flesh and blood of the animals which we sacrifice for this occasion. Thus, sacrifice in Islam is nothing more, nothing less, and nothing else than a natural, visible expression of homage and gratitude to the Creator. It is essentially symbolic – an external symbol of an internal dedication and voluntary submission to the Will of Allah. Our Creator does not need anything from us. All acts of sacrifice and worship are for our own benefits. The act of sacrifice is done only for Allah Who does not delight in flesh or blood as He says in the Qur’an: “It is neither their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah, but it is piety from you that reaches Him. Thus have We made them subject to you that you may magnify Allah for His guidance to you. And give glad tidings (O Muhammad sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) to the Muhsinin (all who do right).” {Al Hajj 37} This ayah points out on the essence, inwardness and real object and purpose of sacrifice in Islam. It teaches us the supreme lesson that it is not the outward act of sacrifice which pleases Allah but the spirit underlying it and the motive behind it. The flesh or blood of the sacrificed animal does not reach Allah; it is righteousness of the heart which is acceptable to Him. Allah wants and demands from us the offering of our hearts. It is, however, a mistake to think that because it is not the outward act of sacrifice but the motive behind it that really matters, the outward act is of no importance. True, the outward act of sacrifice is the shell and the spirit underlying it is the kernel and essence, yet the shell or the body of a thing, like its spirit or kernel, is of very great importance because no soul can exist without a body and no kernel without a shell. In short, a sacrifice is acceptable to Allah only if it is accompanied by piety and sincerity. Though sacrifice is a symbol from Allah, it has been made plain that it is acceptable only if it is accompanied by piety ‘It is neither their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah, but it is piety from you that reaches Him’. This also means to denounce the ritual of the days of Jahiliyah, when Mushrikun (polytheists) took the flesh to the Ka’bah and smeared its walls with the blood of sacrificed animals. Islam purifies it from all wrong notions and practices connected with it and makes it explicitly clear that the act of sacrifice is an outward symbol of man’s readiness to lay down what we love for the sake of Allah and to surrender all his/her interests in the cause of truth and righteousness. This should be the true motive of sacrifice, and it is with this spirit that this act should be performed. |
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1. Quote
Success may be defined as being courageous to forgive who have hurt us or who have enmities with us, better to reconcile to make them friends again.
2)Visiting the Sick, Elderly and Newcomers
SNMC is a unique organization in many of its activities, one such activity, is the weekly local visits. We should visit the sick as it helps us to reflect and reminds us of the blessing of health. When we visit each other in good health, bonds of brotherhood and friendship are strengthened. But when we visit each other in times of sickness, it will give comfort and hope to the sick and the family that the community is with them during challenging time.
Following the sunnah of prophet Muhammad (PBUH), since its inception in June 1998, a team of snmc volunteers has been visiting, once a week, residents and local hospitals to be with the sick, elderly and newcomers. Until 2014, we used to visit to inform local residents about the prayer facility and the financial and volunteering supports for building the masjid. From 2015, during our visit, we thank the families for their support in building the masjid and state the benefits of taking care of the elderly parents and relatives.
Abu Hurairah (R.A.) reports that the Prophet (PBUH) said, “On the Day of Judgement, God will announce: O son of Adam, I was sick, yet you did not visit Me. He will reply, ‘O God, how could I have visited You since you are the Lord of the Worlds? God will say: Did you not know that so and so slave of mine was sick, and yet you did not visit him? Should you have visited him, you would have found Me by him. “ [Sahih Muslim]
Ali (R.A.) reports that the Prophet (PBUH) said, ‘When a Muslim visit his sick Muslim brother in the morning, seventy thousand angels make Dua for his forgiveness till the evening. And when he visits him in the evening, seventy thousand angels make Dua for his forgiveness till the morning, and he will be granted a garden for it in Jannah.’ [Al-Timizi, Abu Dawood]
The Quran states,”Your Lord hath decreed that you worship none but Him, and that you be kind to parents. Whether one or both attain old age in thy life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honor. And, out of kindness, lower to them the wing of humility, and say: “My Lord! bestow on them thy Mercy as they cherished me in childhood.” [Al-Israh, 17:23-24]
As we have been visiting for the last 20 years, we have observed first hand the plight of the elderly. Many occasions, we observed, the elderly is not accorded the respect and dignity that every human being needs, even by own children and relatives. May God help us all, to fulfill our duties towards the elderly, to love and respect them and to set a good example for our own children.
Currently, SNMC visitation team has over 50 members. Every week on an average 10 to 15 brothers participate to visit home, hospital and to welcome the newcomers in the community. We encourage every member of Muslim community, to volunteer for the local visit or any other SNMC activities to help the community. May Good Bless SNMC Community. Ameen.
Dr. Emdad Khan
| True Meaning of Sacrifice in Islam
When we hear a word ‘sacrifice’, we usually think of an animal sacrificed in the name of Almighty Allah, but sacrifice in its true sense means, ‘giving away something of immense value and importance for the sake of Allah alone.’ This something could be measurable like wealth, like time or could be immeasurable like feelings, opinions, likes and dislikes, pleasures and comforts, family ties or merely our own ego. For an act to be called a sacrifice, it must involve the giving away of something or someone we love most dearly and cherish wholeheartedly. The ritual known to us as sacrifice (Qurbani or Udhiyah) has a body and a soul. Its body, or form, is the act of slaughtering the animal. Its soul, or the truth about it, is to generate in one’s heart the supreme feeling of self-sacrifice. In Islam every act of ‘Ibadah has its body and its soul. Prayer has its soul, charity has its soul, fasting has its soul, pilgrimage has its soul, and the sacrifice has its soul, each distinct from the other. In short, to line up to the spirit of a particular ritual or act of worship, it is imperative to adopt the very form that Allah has ordained for it. Thus alone one can reach its soul. The very thing that Allah asks for sacrifice has to be sacrificed. The Qur’an is informing us: “By no means shall you attain Al Birr (piety, righteousness – Allah’s reward), unless you spend (in the Cause of Allah) of that which you love; and whatever of good you spend, Allah knows it well.” {Al ‘Imran 92} In Islam, the sacrifice stands for higher and nobler purpose and ideal. It nourishes and elevates the soul. It develops the personality of a person and refines his/her Nafs (inner-self). As Muslims, we must know that the Hajj and sacrifice, as all rituals of our Din have the meanings. We cannot be lost in the external form of the rituals. We cannot neglect those meanings. We have to make our duties to be the duties of concepts not merely the duties of rituals. One who does not realize what he/she is doing in these rituals and does not feel the spirit of it, for an example in Hajj, only brings back gifts from Makkah. The suitcase full, but ‘self’ empty! One who does not realize the meaning of sacrifice should know that Allah doesn’t need the flesh and blood of the animals which we sacrifice for this occasion. Thus, sacrifice in Islam is nothing more, nothing less, and nothing else than a natural, visible expression of homage and gratitude to the Creator. It is essentially symbolic – an external symbol of an internal dedication and voluntary submission to the Will of Allah. Our Creator does not need anything from us. All acts of sacrifice and worship are for our own benefits. The act of sacrifice is done only for Allah Who does not delight in flesh or blood as He says in the Qur’an: “It is neither their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah, but it is piety from you that reaches Him. Thus have We made them subject to you that you may magnify Allah for His guidance to you. And give glad tidings (O Muhammad sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) to the Muhsinin (all who do right).” {Al Hajj 37} This ayah points out on the essence, inwardness and real object and purpose of sacrifice in Islam. It teaches us the supreme lesson that it is not the outward act of sacrifice which pleases Allah but the spirit underlying it and the motive behind it. The flesh or blood of the sacrificed animal does not reach Allah; it is righteousness of the heart which is acceptable to Him. Allah wants and demands from us the offering of our hearts. It is, however, a mistake to think that because it is not the outward act of sacrifice but the motive behind it that really matters, the outward act is of no importance. True, the outward act of sacrifice is the shell and the spirit underlying it is the kernel and essence, yet the shell or the body of a thing, like its spirit or kernel, is of very great importance because no soul can exist without a body and no kernel without a shell. In short, a sacrifice is acceptable to Allah only if it is accompanied by piety and sincerity. Though sacrifice is a symbol from Allah, it has been made plain that it is acceptable only if it is accompanied by piety ‘It is neither their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah, but it is piety from you that reaches Him’. This also means to denounce the ritual of the days of Jahiliyah, when Mushrikun (polytheists) took the flesh to the Ka’bah and smeared its walls with the blood of sacrificed animals. Islam purifies it from all wrong notions and practices connected with it and makes it explicitly clear that the act of sacrifice is an outward symbol of man’s readiness to lay down what we love for the sake of Allah and to surrender all his/her interests in the cause of truth and righteousness. This should be the true motive of sacrifice, and it is with this spirit that this act should be performed. Almighty Allah says: “Say (O Muhammad sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam): Verily, my prayer, my sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, the Lord of ‘AlAmin.” {Al An’am 162} Believers understand and believe that all their lives and actions should be for the sake of Allah. They are always ready to sacrifice anything for His sake. The reason is obvious. They know that Islam is not simply a matter of sacrificing something once in one’s lifetime. Indeed, Islam is a religion of every moment in one’s life. |
1. Quote
Whoever does a good deed, it is for himself, who ever acts an evil, it is against himself.
2)Family Relationships: Communication, Compromise and Compassion
We haven been actively involved in the community for over 20 years and have seen many of the family relations are broken due to lack of communication or misunderstanding on trivial issues.
Relationships are developed based on one to one relationship on explicit communication, mutual respect, compassion and compromises.
Once, we were reviewing a book on divorce and marriage breakdown, the author observed while analyzing seven cases that each case showed lack of proper communication and poor assumptions.
To be successful as a family, we need open, positive and explicit lines of communication — where everyone feels heard and respected. To strengthen our relations, we need to increase our listening skills. Give our full attention, stop what we are doing, focus on what the person is telling us and politely give feedback on what the other person is saying. We should be aware of the non-verbal/ body language we use to understand emotion, psychology and environment.
We should spend some time every day to talk and share a laugh, say during family dinners. Have one-on-one chats with each family member, even for five minutes before going to bed. To create helpful and joyful environment, we suggest doing some fun activities together as a family such as playing a soccer game or a family board game or gardening, fishing, movies, etc. Families need to make decisions together about what to do for special events like birthdays so everyone feels respected and valued, and this strengthens our relations.
Each family member should have clear expectations, limits and boundaries. We need to be open to talking about difficult things – like admitting mistakes –feelings, anger, joy, frustration, fear and anxiety, conflicts. We should be ready for spontaneous and difficult conversations with spouse and teenagers, for example, topics like sex, drugs, alcohol, school bullying, harassment, academic difficulties, money and other topics that families can find difficult to talk about.
Here comes the question of compromise and compassion. All families have conflicts and challenges – a normal behaviour of development of human relationships. But cooperating families work through disagreement by focusing on the problems and its solution, not fixing the blame. Everyone should be listening and thinking calmly, considering options, respecting other’s opinions, finding constructive solutions, and working towards compromises with give and take attitudes.
Healthy and strong families settle disputes /conflicts by making concessions and move away from our original position or objectives. At the end, compromise is more courageous and rewarding, than siting at one end of an issue.
Additionally, we show compassion and go a bit extra, out of our way to help physical, mental or emotional pain of others. We also show mercy, especially, when one makes mistakes and be forgiving, consider it as a blessing and a new opportunity to renew and refresh relations. Remember, God is merciful, He forgives us all the time. At the end, we will be a happy and peaceful family.
Dr. Emdad Khan