Such Is Life

Salam alekum wa ruhmutAllahi wa barakatu

I remember when I was about 16, a friend confessed to me she'd been depressed cause a close friend of hers had died a while back. At the time I felt so insanely sad for her. It was the worst possible thing I could have imagined that could happen and we were both taken aback by such a sad scenario.

Now I stand back and look at us both, five years later, filled with such fitna and distress. And yet we handle each new disappointment remarkably well. I'm curious as to when pain and destruction had become so common place, so routine. I wonder when it actually was when the world completely crushed our longing youthful souls, and made us into adults. I wonder if that's healthy. I wonder if we will ever dream as we did before. Not that our expectations of the world were so great either. Just wanting some love, a little respect once and a while from the ones we loved, only to return empty handed, burdened once more with someone else's problems.

The past few months my heart has broken more times than I can imagine, and yet I felt worse about the death of her friend, and our boy troubles. When did my heart grow so much callas? And do I dare attempt to bare it once again to a vicious world?

Is this what 'adulthood' breeds?

So many questions racing, so little answers, so many more problems to fix. Does it end? Or will death be the final peace? Quiet. Stillness. Love.

All I know is God gave me limbs and a brain, so I will keep walking this path as long as it takes to answer these questions, knowing life is like a good episode of LOST; it answers what you've been dieing to know, but leaves you to wonder about everything else. With each step I find myself more, and yet, I feel more lost than ever before. Such is love I guess. Such is life.

Why protests don't work

As salam alekum wa ruhmutAllahi wa barakatu

America outside of Libya, ready to invade and divide yet another Muslim country.

I think in light of recent events we can all see that this is true. If anyone has followed the protests in Tunis, Egypt, Libya, Bahrain, Yemen, Algeria etc, you will release it hasn't really worked to the benefit of anyone. Tunis' leader my have run away like a chicken from the coop but his government is still in place and the people are still protesting for their basic human rights. Egypt's new government has IRONICALLY made protesting illegal even though that is the system that has put them in place. Why? Because people are still protesting. Why would they do that? No justice has been delivered. Liyba is now headed for a full on scale war, possibly another WW3 with half the world ready to blow it up. And sadly the rest of the countries are just having people massacred by the hundreds, which is especially concentrated in the much ignored Bahrain.

So you ask why does this not work? Well the fact is nothing really gets done unless theirs a resource to be exploited (like the oil in Libya) or unless people start getting hurt in violent protests (as in Egypt) and even then the results are superficial. The more important reason why this system is flawed is because people don't know what they want (or frankly what they need) and are just complaining without direction. The Egyptian revolution was fueled with so much anger and could have achieved anything. As the world watched for a daunting and exhausting month it was released they had no idea what to do. They had no leader, no system, nothing to support, and not they have been GIVEN exactly the opposite of what they wanted.

Case in point, don't complain unless you know what you want and how to get it because forces like America will be inclined to shove something down your throat that you did not expect. Movements with no direction are easy influenced and redirected and therefore are unfruitful.

One of the many mistakes of the Egyptians is that they just exclaimed 'WE WANTED DEMOCRACY' which clearly showed they had no sense of what they want, or frankly what you need(Shariah). If you want democracy then find a leader, set up a party, spread the word, and then march in support of this group. Show that your insane numbers are behind something for the love of God. The mistake here is that they gave Mubarak the chance to turn them down. Alternatively if you find his replacement and support him, then the man has no choice but to step down!

Comparatively think of is this way; if your brother is taking your fist and making you hit yourself over and over, and is not listening when you request you stop, in the event that you are too weak to fight back, so you keep asking him to stop? No. You go call your mom to -make- him stop. There is no sense in asking the dictator for his opinion and giving him the power to turn you down.

In conclusion, protests have no place in the world unless they are going to be done right and do something EFFECTIVELY. I really can't see why the Middle East is up in arms and hasn't learned this lesson yet. InshaAllah maybe we will. Right now we need to fight back! And with a purpose.

! Fake Muslim Sites Beware ! COULD YOU FORWARD AN EMAIL TO SAVE YOUR RELIGION?

As salam alekum wa ruhmutAllahi wa barakatu brothers and sisters,
LifeAsAMuslimah was a darling to put together these sites so they can be emailed and islamic hater sites could be identified. JazakaAllah khair sister and inshaAllah now these attempts will be thwarted. Her post reads:

COULD YOU FORWARD AN EMAIL TO SAVE YOUR RELIGION?

Please send this message to every Muslim you know...

ASAP!

If you don't...

A Muslim somewhere in the world could be receiving false information about Islam. So prevent that from happening.

!PLEASE!

Beware of the following websites:
www.answering-islam.org
www.aboutislam.com
www.thequran.com
www.allahassurance.com

These sites have been developed by Islamaphobes!

Who Intentionally are spreading
wrong information about the QURAN , the HADITH and ISLAM itself.

Please spread this information
To all the Muslim brothers and sisters around the world. The list of traced

anti- Islamic websites, about Islam are:
1. http://www.islamreview.com/
This site has posted fake stories of how Muslims converted to Christianity. How do I know? Read the following excerpt from one of the stories:
First the 'convert' says: (emphasis added)
In the end, I managed to convince my mother, as it was for Allah and I joined the Islamic College. Having graduated as an ustaz, I was soon posted to my neighbourhood
And then:
My trip to Mecca for the Haj (pilgrimage) was tiring but eventful. I did not have the rare opportunity to see inside the holy Kabah and the holy idols inside, which Prophet Muhammud had helped to place, as explained in Bukhari's Hadith
An Ustaz (scholar) in Islaamic Studies is saying that there are idols inside the Kabah and that too placed by Muhammad (saw) himself!?!?!

This clearly shows that the author is deliberately trying to spread misinformation about Islaam and wants to convey to possible reverts to Islaam that it is religion of idol worship.
In fact most of the Christian sites use this tactic of false convert stories but it's not always possible to prove it


2.
http://www.faithfreedom.org/

AlhamduliLlaah I was able to catch another site posting fake stories of Muslims leaving Islaam. See the false information imparted here. That the attempt is deliberate is known through the claim that the 'convert' has done detailed study about the topic.

For Islamic Education, I had to study about marriage in detail to do well. So, I learnt all the stuff and got the highest grade anyone can get for Islamic Education. And guess what? Because I know it so well, I know that there is a lot of discrimination against women in Islam. Things like a father and grandfather can marry a girl/woman to whomever they want even if the girl/woman doesn't want to marry that person In addition, I learned things like women couldn't be witnesses in Syariah Courts and things like that


. The first point here is a total lie whereas the second is a distorted version of the truth.........
3.
http://www.answering-islam.org/Testimonies/younathan..html

Here's yet another extract from a false convert story aimed at spreading misinformation about Islaam.

As I started thinking about my life and the Quran, I realized all Muslims, even the prophet Muhammad, would go to Hell for certain sins they committed in their lifetime.

This is a common ploy of the Christian Missionaries. They first inform gullible victims that Jesus (God) is Love and just by believing in the Crucifixion, you will be assured of Paradise . Whereas the concept of God in Islaam is so harsh that no one will be spared from Hell and that even Prophet Muhammad (saw) was not sure of where he would end up.. For this purpose they quote an ayat of the Qur'aan out of context. Here there have gone a step further by saying that even our beloved Prophet (saw) would have to go through hell. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Anti Islaamic Sites under misleading names





4.
http://www.muslimhope.com/

5.
http://www..islameyat.com/

6.
http://www.islamreview.com/

7.
http://www.muhammadanism.com/

8.
http://thespiritofislam........com/index.html

9.
http://www.abrahamic-faith.com/

10.
http://www.gnfcw.com/

11.
http://www.knowislam.info/drupal/mno

12.
http://www.homa..org/

13.
http://www.thequran.com/

14.
http://www.Allahassurance.com/

15.
http://www.mosque.com/

16.
http://thespiritofislam........com/index.html

17.
http://www.newislam.org/

Anti Islaamic Sites apparent even by name

18. http://www.islam-exposed.org/

19. http://answering-islam.org.uk/

20. http://www.answeringinfidels.com/

21. http://www.islamundressed.com/

22. http://www.studytoanswer.net/myths_ch1.html

23. http://www.challenging-islam.org/submissions/shariah.htm

24. www.answering-islam.org

25. http://www.islamundressed.com/

26. http://www.exmuslim.com/

27. http://www.answeringinfidels.com/

28. http://www.gnfcw.com/

29. http://www.dhimmi..com/

30. http://www.chick.com/information/religions/islam/

31. http://www.acage.org/

32. http://www..apostatesofislam.com/

33. http://www.secularislam.org/

34. http://www..muslim-refusenik.com/

35. http://www.icapi.org/

36. http://www.hesetsfree.org/

37. http://www.letusreason.org/Islamdir.htm

38. http://www.kafirnation.com/

39. http://www.jihadwatch.org/

40. http://www.anti-cair-net.org/

41. http://apostatesofislam.com/

42. http://challenging-islam.org/

Always check the source of any Islamic web site even if it is very convincing

A
FAKE AMERICAN QUR'AN

(The FURQAN QUR'AN)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1579211755/qid%3D1096805827/102-4933271-2395342

PLEASE DO NOT ignore this.

FORWARD this to as many Muslims as you can.

The new AMERICAN Qur'an:

a dangerous trick.

A new Quran

is being distributed in Kuwait , titled 'The True

Furqan'. It is being described as the verses of the

Shaytan and
Al-Furqan weekly magazine has found out

that the two American printing companies;

'Omega 2001'

and
'Wine Press' are involved in the publishing of

'
The True Furqan ', a book which has also been titled

'
The 21st Century Qur'an '!

It is over 366 pages and is

in both the Arabic and English languages...it is being

distributed to our children in Kuwait in the private

English schools!

The book contains 77 Surats, which include Al-Fatiha, Al-Jana and Al-Injil. Instead of

Bismillah, each Surat begins with a longer version of

this incorporating the Christian belief of the three

spirits.

And this so called Qur'an opposes many Islamic

beliefs. In one of its verses it describes having more

than one wife as fornication, divorce being

non-permissible and it uses a new system for the

sharing out of the will, opposing the current one. It

states that Jihad is HARAM.

This book even goes as far as attacking God Almighty Allah!

All this is poisoning our children at approx. $3.

Brothers and Sisters please make sure you forward this

email to as many people as possible so that we can

stop this dangerous trick..

May Allah reward you. Ameen

Answering Islam, A Christian-Muslim Dialog and Apologetic
www.answering-islam.org
Christians and Muslims have many things in common. They believe in one God, worship in holy sanctuaries, have similar annual religious calendars, and set aside one day a week for a major community worship service. Outwardly both religions can look very similar. ... Formal monotheism – Is this really..

Who Really Loves You?

As salam alekum wa ruhmutAllahi wa barakatu

“Yilly be7abak babkeek, willy beda7kuk, bedu7hik 3lake.”

My mom said this phrase to me today, and it just clicked in my head so profoundly. Granted it sounds better in Arabic, but I think we can all appreciate the translation. “The one who loves you makes you cry, and the one who laughs with you laughs at you (or at your expense)". Now ain't that the truth.

What use is the person who makes you laugh all the time and in turn really only ends up feeding your nafs (center of desires). That is not where true love lies. Those who love you will push the truth into your face whether you like it or not, because its important, and that's the only thing that will benefit you in the end. A true friend doesn't just make you feel good about your situation, a true friend calls you a lazy whiner, if that's what you are. "It is not my job to make you feel good, its my job to make you live up to your potential", said my brother.

Granted friends shouldn't put you down either, or make accusations and assumptions. They should comfort you and make you feel good about yourself when you are down, give you a few inspiring talks. That being said, when this fails, its time to bust out reality.

And there are some people on this planet that I just cannot stand! They make me so angry sometimes that I can't even form sentences. But deep down I love them, because they mean well, and because they want to see me be better, think better, aspire to be better. I can appreciate that sometimes they aren't the most articulate people, and can often be rude or short tempered; I can be a frustrating person. But I know that they mean well, and once I have calmed down I can collect my thoughts and try to sort out what I need to do.

The one thing about advice that we don't like is that sometimes it just doesn't click. I've been faced with that a lot lately. I have been given so much “advice” lately that I thought my head was going to implode. With so many people telling me about what is wrong with me, you can imagine I was pissed right off for weeks. But lately I've come to the realization that I really do need to get things together, and that these problems do exist. I can be lazy, I'm stubborn as a camel, hot tempered once you get me going, and sometimes inappropriately harsh.

That is something I can appreciate. Despite how these messages were conveyed (trust me it wasn't sugar coated or kind at all) I learned something about myself, and now I can be a better person because of it. We all need to shove our pride deep into the ground and be a little more patient when receiving advice, because after all most people don't actually like flipping out, or hurting your feelings. Therefore, if someone cares about they will stress themselves out, and you to get the message across.

Take care everyone <3

UPDATE

As salam alekum wa ruhmutAllahi wa barkaktu

JazakAllah khair everyone for all the kind words and the support. I have missed you guys so much, but I have also had a very rewarding week.

I have Re-opened my “Noura Temp” account so that I can spy on you guys and keep in contact sometimes. Add me there if you like. I wanna thank you guys so much for understanding and leaving inspiring comments that help me feel like I can do this. And make a good life for myself.

ROUGH STUFF:


I cried ALOT since the change. It was sad.

IMPROVEMENTS:


Even though I was sad I trusted in Allah to take care of me and alhemdulilah he really did!!.

So I officially got to talking with some sisters in my community and was surprised to find some nice Muslims here :). I was so worried about not having other Muslims to support me but this looks like it might not be that bad. Hehe.
I also have been studying :O. :D. I know shocker.

 I’ve been paying more attention to my salah and reading more Quran. HEHE I'm so excited for what the future holds. I know you guys have been praying for me. JazakAllah <3.

Today I went to the Jummah that is offered in my school. And the speaker was going on about how we have an MSA in the school, but no reps and nothing going on. And he basically gave us heck for 15 minutes lol. He was like, “And now I want one male and one female to approach me after salah and give me their names.” I am officially the MSA Leader for my school now O_O! LOL. I have no idea what I'm going to do but inshaAllah Allah will help me. I was thinking of letting everyone get to know each other first with some cool activities. And then maybe start organizing fundraisers and stuff. PLEASE GIVE ME IDEAS IF YOU HAVE ANY!!!!.

I have been taking care of my momma and brotha. He just got out of the hospital and hes doing great. Thanks to those who did duah for him jazakAllah khair.

Anyways that’s what’s new with me :D thanks for listening to me ramble <3.

Love yaa...

As salam alekum wa ruhmutAllahi wa barakatu



To those who care,

I love you guys more than you could ever understand, and you have helped me through the roughest of times in my life. You are all truly amazing people.

you are the people that understand me the most. You are the people that laughed with me when Rex said “halam” instead of “haram” lol. The people that listened to my cry and helped me find Allah when I needed him. The people that stayed up into the wee hrs of the morning to laugh with me. The people that protected me, checked up on me, and loved me. The people who recited Quran with me. Broke my heart and fought with me but also supported me. More than I could have ever imagined. When IslamTalk came up and down and around and back down you were there. You were there when Aim put on the Don’t Jealous Me videos and we all laughed till our ribs were going to explode. You were there when Obama was elected. You guys know why I am afraid of people telling me their dog died. You know why I love cats. You know what I'm thinking before it’s said. You guys were there when Jon ranted on about BodyWorks. When bnn sent disgusting pics haha. When Fady put up his middle finger to demonstrate shooting a bow and arrow lool. When Iqra told everyone about Rzaa’s embarrassing moments (like when he constructed the table outside only to find out that it wouldn’t fit through the doors ahahahaha!). When Numa read off the unedited version of Alice In Wonderland. When KinKong sang on mic :S When Mirza admitted he was gay. When my darling Kayla found her love in a stingy old Bosnian :P When Dee needed help you guys gave your hard earned cash. You were there for Madina’s many flip outs :P Ozzy’s many teachings of the Bible. And chats with Yahya (man I miss him). Who remembers the pumpkin song? :P ahahahaha. Loool remember when powpow pwned Abdullah on his sock account? Hahaha good times. Lol I remember when Sassy and Amal had the Nutella challenge ahahaha. You were there when Kimmy left us. Yall were there for me and defended me when DJ was being a rats ass.You guys were always supportive and this is not something I could ever forget.

But as my mother says, this one put khubz (bread) on the table. I spend a lot of time online, when I should be studying and taking care of my family. I’ve neglected them, and my real life friends, for too long :( I have gained so much support and love and KNOWLEDGE from all of you. And I can’t thank you enough for it. But recent events have shown me really that I have much more too loose. And knowing myself, if I let myself give, I will give till I have nothing left. There’s something profoundly dangerous about this. I gave my effort to some people, and they didn't reciprocate... but it doesn’t matter anyways. I can't be up till 3am anymore, and going to school half dazed. I don't always do it. But it takes its toll. Being online takes a toll.

I am going to cut off all connections with the online world. The past two years have been amazing. But it is time to let go now. I just didn’t want you all to get offended when I block/delete you :(

I love you all. And I will pray for you guys all the time inshaAllah. Please remember me in your prayers as well, because I need it.

Don't think that I am choosing my "real" life friends over you guys. In fact, you are what was real to me. You are the ones that supported me. Wiped my tears. It has more to do with my Iman and being able to focus on Allah without thinking about whos responding to my facebook comment. No one has ever done for me what you guys have done and there will be no replacing you. <3

Allah says- For him are angels ranged before him and behind him, who guard him by

Allah's command. Lo! Allah changeth not the condition of a folk until they (first) change that which is in their hearts

; and if Allah willeth misfortune for a folk there is none that can repel it, nor have they a defender beside Him. (11) Al-Rad

It's time for a change.

Wasif you better study! Jude don't be too hard on urself. JEW BEHAVE. Jake, promise to always be as sweet as you are now, never ever ever ever change. Amy, same to you, and take care of Tim eh. Lynn & OMV, I LOVE YOU GUYS <3!

For those who care, inshaAllah i will still be blogging 

To those who conjecture 

I need to learn time management indeed, and now i need to get rid of my temptations. because they are too great. I have tried many many many many times to "break". But I just can't. And I need change NOW. This is the only option. And it's not forever inshaAllah. I love you <3>

Maddys Email :O JazakAllah sissta

Are the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah more special than other days? What are the righteous deeds that it is recommended to do a lot of during these ten days?.

Praise be to Allaah.

Among the great seasons of worship are the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah, which Allaah has favoured over other days. It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There are no days on which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allaah than these ten days.” They said: “Not even jihad for the sake of Allaah?” He said: “Not even jihad for the sake of Allaah, unless a man goes out himself for jihad taking his wealth with him and does not come back with anything.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2/457

It was also narrated from Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no deed that is better before Allaah or more greatly rewarded than a good deed done in the (first) ten days of al-Adha.” It was said: “Not even jihad for the sake of Allaah?” He said: “Not even jihad for the sake of Allaah, unless a man goes out himself for jihad taking his wealth with him and does not come back with anything.” Narrated by al-Daarimi, 1/357; its isnaad is hasan as stated in al-Irwa’, 3/398.

These texts and others indicate that these ten days are better than all other days of the year, with no exception, even the last ten days of Ramadaan. But the last ten nights of Ramadaan are better than the first ten nights of Dhu’l-Hijjah, because they include Laylat al-Qadr, which is better than a thousand months. See Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 5/412.

So the Muslim should start these days with sincere repentance to Allaah, then he should do a lot of righteous deeds in general, then he should pay attention to doing the following deeds:

1 – Fasting

It is Sunnah for the Muslim to fast on the first nine days of Dhu’l-Hijjah, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) encouraged us to do righteous deeds in the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah, and fasting is one of the best of deeds, which Allaah has chosen for Himself as it says in the hadeeth qudsi: “Allaah says: ‘All the deeds of the son of Adam are for him, except fasting, which is for Me and I shall reward for it.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1805.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to fast on the first nine days of Dhu’l-Hijjah. It was narrated from Hunaydah ibn Khaalid from his wife, that one of the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to fast on the first nine days of Dhu’l-Hijjah and the day of ‘Ashoora’, and three days each month, the first Monday of the month and two Thursdays. Narrated by al-Nasaa’i, 4/205 and by Abu Dawood; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 2/462.



2 – Reciting tahmeed, tahleel and takbeer a great deal

It is Sunnah to recite takbeer (saying Allaahu akbar (Allaah is most great)), tahmeed (saying al-hamdu Lillah (praise be to Allaah)), tahleel (saying Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah (There is no god but Allaah)) and tasbeeh (saying Subhaan-Allaah (Glory be to Allaah)), during the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah, saying these words out loud in the mosques, homes, streets and every place in which it is permissible to remember Allaah, to perform this act of worship openly and proclaim the greatness of Allaah.

Men should recite out loud and women should recite quietly.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“That they may witness things that are of benefit to them (i.e. reward of Hajj in the Hereafter, and also some worldly gain from trade), and mention the Name of Allaah on appointed days, over the beast of cattle that He has provided for them (for sacrifice)”

[al-Hajj 22:28]

The majority are of the view that the “appointed days” are the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah, because it was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the appointed days are the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah.

It was narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There are no days that are greater before Allaah or in which good deeds are more beloved to Him, than these ten days, so recite a great deal of tahleel, takbeer and tahmeed during them.” Narrated by Ahmad, 7/224; its isnaad was classed as saheeh by Ahmad Shaakir.



The takbeer is as follows:

Allaah akbar, Allaahu akbar, laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, Allaahu akbar, wa Lillaah il-hamd (Allaah is Most Great, Allaah is Most Great, there is no god but Allaah; Allaah is Most Great and to Allaah be praise).

And there are other versions.

This takbeer has become a forsaken Sunnah nowadays, especially at the beginning of these ten days. You can hardly hear it except from a few. It should be recited out loud, so as to revive the Sunnah and remind the heedless. It was proven that Ibn ‘Umar and Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with them both) used to go out to the marketplace during the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah, reciting the takbeer our loud, and the people would recite takbeer when they heard them, i.e., the people would remember the talkbeer and each one would recite it by himself; it does not mean that they recited in unison – that is not prescribed in sharee’ah.

Reviving Sunnahs that have been forgotten brings a great deal of reward, as is indicated by the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “Whoever revives one of my Sunnahs that has died out after I am gone, will have a reward like that of everyone who does it, without that detracting from their reward in the slightest.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 7/443; this hadeeth is hasan because of corroborating reports.



3 – Doing Hajj and ‘Umrah

One of the greatest deeds that can be done during these ten days is Hajj to the sacred House of Allaah. Whoever Allaah helps to go on Hajj to His House and do the rituals in the required manner will – in sha Allaah – be included in the words of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “An accepted Hajj brings no less a reward than Paradise.”



4 – Udhiyah (sacrifice)

One of the righteous deeds that bring a person closer to Allaah in these ten days is to slaughter the sacrifice and to look for a good, fat animal and to spend money on it for the sake of Allaah.

Let us hasten to make the most of these great days, before the negligent regrets what he did, and before he asks to go back and receives no response.