Date: April 29, 2015
Reem Shaikh is a 17-year-old Muslim hails from Houston. Wonderful news is that she has finished memorizing Qur’an when she was just seven and traveled to Egypt to learn Arabic. She did not get an opportunity to go to regular schools. She was homeschooled until the age of 12. Then she pursued her bachelors in Islamic Studies at Qatar University. The very fact is that children who are homeschooled will be stereotyped as illiterates. But case for Reem is something different. She is now a social activist and joined Doha youth forum, a forum from UN to give youth an opportunity to voice their opinions, last year. She was the only young Muslim girl who addressed UN delegates and answered their questions on role of youth in fighting crimes around the world.
This is part of Mufti Menk’s powerful speech on the topic “Focus on What You Have”, an understanding of our achievements and thanking Allah almighty for that. Are you happy with the blessings you have today? Let’s give it a check. Most of us run behind the ones we desire to get but never remember to thank Allah (SAW) for what we have. Yes, that’s the fact. Comparing ourselves with others is the reason for our unhappiness. Just try to list out your blessings on a paper and you will find it as an endless one and you will have to keep adding things to it. Let’s compare us with the kings of the past to focus on our achievements we have today. They might have had a luxurious life and abundance in quantity but quality wise we live a better life. To mention a few we have lights, fans, air conditioners, fridge, cars etc all these are our luxury while the kings had all these done for them by their subordinates. Still we crave for more. So isn’t it the time for us to think on how we live today and how blessed we are. So why wait! just rush to thank Allah (SAW) for giving us such a happy and blessed life. Do listen to his words as he is giving us a golden opportunity to focus on our “LIFE “.
Read MoreMecca: The Holiest City in the World in Islam Mecca is the holy city in the World. This title has been given to Mecca because, Prophet Muhammad was born here. The Kabba, the holy site in Islam, is located in Mecca. Islam perform the ritual prayer to Kaaba called the Qiblah here in Mecca. Each Muslim can collect the holiest water in the world, Zamzam from Mecca. Every year, Islam devotees make pilgrimage trips to Mecca to perform Hajj and Umrah. The holy city, Mecca is located 45 miles east of the city of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. The place has 909 feet of elevation and is located in a valley surrounded by mountains. Here the temperature can reach upto 120 degree Fahrenhei. In fact, Allah has described Mecaa in many names in the holy Quran such as Mecca, Bakkah, Al-Balad, Al-Qaryah, and Ummul-Qura. The largest and holiest mosque in the world named Masjid Al-Haram is situated in Mecca. This holy devotion place has a capacity of allowing up to 1.2 million people to pray at any one time. Masjid An-Nabawi called as the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina where the reward for prayers is equivalent to 1,000 times prayer from any other mosque in the world. What is Kaaba? Kaaba is a large stone structure that lies in the center of Masjid Al-Haram. Kaaba is 60 feet high and constitutes a single room. Kaaba is covered with a black curtain called Kiswah. Kaaba has a door which is located at the south-east wall. It is noted that Kaaba was built by Prophet Abraham and Prophet Ismail. The holy Quran provides evidence that prophet Abraham and Prophet Ismail were the founders of Kaaba. Kaaba has been given several names such as Bayt Al-Ateeq(ancient house), Bayt Al-Haram( honorable house) and Baytullah( house of Allah- This is just a figure of sppech and does not mean). The black stone, which is brought from the paradise is placed in Kaaba. Now this black stone is framed with silver as it had been broken into a number of pieces when it was rebuilt by the Quraysh. Islamic devotees try to kiss the black stone because the Prophet Muhammad used to do so. Zamzam Spring Zamzam spring holds a historical miracle and has got extreme religious relevance due to its origin. Zamzam has a wonderful historical significance that miraculously, had issued forth from a barren and desolate wadi, where the Prophet Ibrahim sent his wife Hajar and infant son Ismail. She searched for a drop of water desperately. She ran seven times across mountains and she could not find some water. Thus, by seeing this, Allah sent Gabriel to give Hajar some water. Gabriel scratched the ground to appear the spring. By finding the spring, she became happy and gave water to Ismail who was dying with thirst. Hajar has got in a great fear that, what will do if this spring disappears all on a sudden. Thus, she enclosed the spring with sand and stones. The name ZamZam got this name from Hajar that she chanted Zome Zome repeatedly while enclosing the spring with sand to prevent the water from flowing. Zamzam means “stop flowing”. Now Zamzam is protected in a well and every Muslim collect the water during their pilgrimage. Apart from these, Hira cave which is been known for prophet Muhammad’s first revelation place, is located at Mount Al-Nur,a place nearby Mecca.
Read MoreThe month of Rabi-ul-Awwal is famous for the birth and passing of the Holy Prophet Muhammad P.B.U.H. Did you know that there are some of historic events that also occurred in this month. Here are some of the few highlights. •The Holy Prophet migrated from Makkah to Madinah Munawwarah. •Battle of Buwaat took place in the year 2 A.H. •Battle of Saf'vaan took place in the year 2 A.H. •The first Caliph Abu Bakr (RA.) was appointed. •Mother of the believers, wife of the Holy Prophet Zainab (RA.) passed away in the year 4 A.H. •Ibrahim (RA.) the son of Maaria Qibtiya & of the Holy Prophet passed away in the year 1O A.H.
Read More"When a person dies, his works end, except for three: ongoing charity, knowledge that is benefited from, and a righteous child who prays for him."
Prophet Mohammed (PBUH)
"The best of what a man leaves behind are three: a righteous child who supplicates for him, ongoing charity the reward of which reaches him, and knowledge that is acted upon after him."
Sunan Ibn Mājah
"Every day two angels come down from Heaven and one of them says, 'O Allah! Compensate every person who spends in Your Cause,' and the other (angel) says, 'O Allah! Destroy every miser.'"
Sahih Bukhari