Friday Nasihah

Living The Quran Place of Sleep Ya-Sin (Ya-Sin) - Chapter 36: Verse 52 "They will cry: 'Woe to us! Who has raised us from our place of sleep?' This is what the All-Merciful promised, and the Messengers spoke the truth!" This statement reveals two facts concerning life in the grave. One is that compared with the dread of the Resurrection and the Place of Supreme Gathering, and the punishment in Hell, the suffering in the grave will be like a sleep tormented by nightmares. The other is: Ali, the Fourth Caliph, may God be pleased with him, says that the life of the world is sleep, and people wake up when they die. So, from the perspective of the truths of faith and the truths concerning creation and life, the worldly life is like a dream. When people die, their seeing and perception will be much keener. Compared with the eternal life in the other world, life in the grave is like a dream during sleep. All truths will be manifested in all their clarity in the Hereafter. Compiled From: "The Quran: Annotated Interpretation in Modern English" - Ali Unal, pp. 912, 913

Understanding the Prophet's Life Tenderness A text is narrated by Ahmad ibn Hanbal in his Musnad from Anas, he said: "There was a slave woman from among the slave women of Madinah and God's Messenger took her by the hand and he did not take his hand from her hand while she went with him wherever she wished to go." Al-Bukhari narrated it with the wording: "There was a slave woman from among the slave women in Madinah, and she took the Messenger of God by hand; then she walked off with him wherever she wished." The hadith demonstrates the extent of the Prophet's, peace be upon him, humility, courtesy and tenderness: though she was a slave woman she clasped him by the hand and she consulted with him through the city streets of Madinah, so that he decided for her certain needs. He was of extreme modesty and great in character, he did not want to hurt her feelings by withdrawing his hand from her hand. Rather, he shaded her, moving along with her in this situation until she was finished with the judgment of her need. Compiled From: "Approaching the Sunnah: Comprehension & Controversy" - Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, p. 165

Blindspot! Collectivity It is impossible to live, to bear witness, to pray, to fast, to make the pilgrimage alone, apart from other people and thinking only of oneself. To be with God is to be with other people: to bear the faith is to bear responsibility for social commitment at every moment. The teaching that must be understood from zakat could not be more explicit: to possess is to have the duty to share. It is impossible shamelessly to accumulate possessions in the name of personal freedom when it leads to exploitation and social injustices; it is impossible, too, to forget the interests of society as a whole and consider only one's own. Of course, people are free, but they are responsible for this freedom before God and other people. This responsibility is undeniably moral: according to this morality, to be free means to protect the freedom and dignity of others. The four practical pillars of Islam have this double dimension - individual and communal. The essence of Islamic teaching lies along this path between these two extremes: either to put first individuals and their own interests and so create a a social space that may turn into a jungle, no matter how lofty the speeches that may be made, or to give priority to the group and to the society and to deny the specificity, the hopes, and desires of each individual by creating a structure that binds and alienates, no matter how many plans there may be for development. A difficult balance, but it is the only way to respond to the demand of the Creator, who expects each person alone to bear responsibility for his or her community life. Compiled From: "Western Muslims and The Future of Islam" - Tariq Ramadan, pp. 181, 182

Friday Nasihah

Living The Quran Door of Hope Al-Imran (The House of Imran) - Chapter 3: Verse 135 "Those who, when they commit a gross indecency or wrong themselves, remember God and pray for the forgiveness of their sins - for who but God can forgive sins? - and do not knowingly persist in doing the wrong they may have done." Never does Islam slam the door in the face of a weak sinner leaving him lost in the wilderness. Never does it let him feel permanently rejected, afraid to turn back. On the contrary, it holds for him the prospect of forgiveness. It shows him the way and holds his trembling hand, steadying him and giving him the light he needs to return to his secure refuge. It only requires one thing of him, namely, that his heart and soul are not so hardened so as to make him forget God. As long as he remembers God and keeps alive in his conscience the voice of guidance and maintains in his heart the yearning for God's grace, the light will shine again in his soul and the seed of faith will burst forth with a new plant. Islam knows that side by side with man's weaknesses and carnal desires there exist strength and sublime aspirations. For this reason, Islam is sympathetic to man in his moment of weakness, places him back on his way to a higher horizon, as long as he remembers God and does not knowingly persist with his wrongdoing. Thus, Islam combines its call to man to aspire to a higher horizon with its mercy and compassion, knowing man's weakness and capability. It ensures that the door of hope is always open in front of man as it motivates him to exert his utmost in his aspiration towards the sublime. Compiled From: "In The Shade of The Quran" - Sayyid Qutb, Vol 2, pp. 215-217

Understanding the Prophet's Life Creator of Marvels Imam al-Bayhaqi relates a statement of the Prophet, peace be upon him, in which he said, "God makes every maker and what he makes." In reality, God is the creator of the marvels that people admire and attribute to the glory of humankind, forgetting that it is God who created the ones who produced these marvels. Realizing that God is the source of all blessings prevents vanity from entering the heart. There is foolishness in being vein about what one has accomplished, given its ephemeral nature. But when one is thankful to God and acknowledges and praises Him as the source of this goodness, then the accomplishment outlasts our earthly lives and the memories of people, for God preserves it. Vanity originates from one's ignorance of two matters: God alone is the Fashioner and the Giver of Blessings and we human beings are incapable of accomplishing anything without God's will and blessings. If one accomplishes something, let him or her remember God and be grateful, and not swagger with haughtiness. When the Prophet, peace be upon him, saw a reflection of himself - and he was a beautiful man - he would make the following supplication: "O God, as You have made my countenance most excellent, make my character most excellent." Imam Mawlud said that to rid oneself of vanity (or prevent it from entering one's heart), reflect long and hard on the fact that all blessings are entirely from God and that we cannot produce any benefit or harm without His permission. Compiled From: "Purification of The Heart" - Hamza Yusuf, pp. 98, 99

Blindspot! Summons to Action The fundamental message of the Quran was not a doctrine but an ethical summons to practically expressed compassion: it is wrong to build a private fortune and good to share your wealth fairly and create a just society where poor and vulnerable people are treated with respect. There was no question of a literal, simplistic reading of scripture. Every single image, statement, and verse in the Quran is called an ayah ("sign," "symbol," "parable"), because we can speak of God only analogically. The great ayat of the creation and the last judgment are not introduced to enforce "belief," but they are a summons to action. Muslims must translate these doctrines into practical behaviour. The ayah of the last day, when people will find that their wealth cannot save them, should make Muslims examine their conduct here and now: Are they behaving kindly and fairly to the needy? They must imitate the generosity of Allah, who created the wonders of this world so munificently and sustains it so benevolently. By looking after the poor compassionately, freeing their slaves, and performing small acts of kindness on a daily, hourly basis, Muslims would acquire a responsible, caring spirit, purging themselves of pride and selfishness. By modeling their behaviour on that of the Creator, they would achieve spiritual refinement. Compiled From: "The Case for God" - Karen Armstrong, pp. 99, 100

Friday Nasihah

Living The Quran Hajj Experience Al-Hajj (The Pilgrimage) - Chapter 22: Verses 27-28 (partial) "And proclaim the Pilgrimage among men; they will come to you on foot and (mounted) on every kind of camel, lean on account of journeys through deep and distant mountain highways; That they may witness the benefits for them." Allah had commanded Abraham to make a general proclamation of Hajj, the first reason given for this commandment is that they may undertake the journey and assemble here and witness with their own eyes that it is intended for their benefit only and its advantages can be noticed only when a man personally experiences it by performing the task himself. It is narrated about Imam Abu Hanifa that until he had performed the Hajj he was doubtful as to which act of worship was superior among the worships of Islam. But when on performing the Hajj he witnessed the numerous benefits hidden in it, he unhesitatingly declared that Hajj is superior to all. The word "benefits" is in the indefinite, implying all types and numerous forms of benefits. Most notable among these benefits are the purification of the soul, refinement of character, refreshing of one's spirit and the spiritual training that takes place in the most honourable land on this earth. Compiled From: "Let Us Be Muslims" - Sayyid Abul Ala Mawdudi, Chapter 6 "Purification of the Soul" - By Jamal al-Din M. Zarabozo, pp. 251-263

Understanding the Prophet's Life Wiping Away Sins "Whoever performs the Hajj for the sake of Allah and does not commit any lewdness or evil returns like the day in which his mother gave him birth." [Bukhari, Muslim] "Whoever Observes fast on the Day of Arafah, I expect Allah to forgive his (her) sins that were committed during the preceding year, and the sins that will be committed in the year after."[Muslim] Sins can be forgiven at any place, no matter where the person is: it is not essential to be at Arafah or Kaba, but because many benefits, blessings, and heartfelt feelings which these Symbols, places and the rites of Hajj produce - which are not found anywhere else - they provide a better environment for asking for forgiveness with sincerity of heart. These are the places where the blessings and mercies of Allah descended on the prophets, where the prophets were showered with Allah's light of guidance, where the Signs of Allah and His prophets are found everywhere, where in the past Allah's devotees have conversed with Him, and where all the pilgrims assemble, pray, cry and lament together for forgiveness. The environment and atmosphere of these places surely help the pilgrims to pray from the bottom of their hearts with the result that the prayers are accepted. But making amends is bound to certain conditions and depends on the removal of certain obstacles both within and without the action itself. If the servant could be certain that he had met every condition and eliminated every obstacle, then [certainly] such an act would atone for the sin. But what about an action which is [itself] entirely or mostly enveloped in negligence, lacking in the sincerity which is its core and spirit, and performed without respect for its requirements or value? What can this action amend? In fact, there are countless things which invalidate or spoil devotional practice. It is not so much the action itself as the effort to keep it pure of the things that spoil and annul it. One could hope for atonement if in undertaking a devotional act the servant was sure of its outward and inward requirements had been fulfilled; that there were no obstacles to the act's atoning quality; and that he himself did not annul it with feelings of self-importance, ostentation, or the expectation of something in return [from people]. Compiled From: "Worship In Islam " - Sulaiman Nadwi, pp. 275-276 "The Invocation of God" - Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, p. 8

Blindspot! Common Compassion We must get to know about our neighbours in the global village and realize that our own tradition is not alone in its pursuit of the compassionate ideal. The comparative study of other religion is not designed to dilute your appreciation of your own or to make you convert to another tradition. Ideally it should help you to see the faith that you are most familiar with in a different, richer light. Each of the world religions has its own particular genius, its own special insight in the nature and requirements of compassion, and has something unique to teach us. By making room in your mind for other traditions, you are beginning to appreciate what many human beings, whatever their culture and beliefs, hold in common. So while you are investigating the teachings of your own tradition, take time to find out more about the way other faiths have expressed the compassionate ethos. You will find that this in itself will enable you to expand your sympathies and begin to challenge some of the preconceptions that separate us from "the other." The sages, prophets, and mystics of religious traditions did not regard compassion as an impractical dream. They worked as hard to implement it in the difficult circumstances of their time as we work today to find a cure for cancer. They were innovative thinkers, ready to use whatever tool lay to hand in order to reorient the human mind, assuage suffering, and pull their societies back from the brink. They did not cynically throw up their hands in despair, but insisted that every person had the ability to reform himself or herself and become an icon of kindness and selfless empathy in a world that seemed ruthlessly self-destructive. We need that energy and conviction today. Compiled From: "Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life" - Karen Armstrong, pp. 63, 64

Maintainer's Message EID MUBARAK! We wish you a happy and joyous Eid. May Allah accept our worship and sacrifices during the blessed days of Dhul-Hijja. May Allah accept the Hajj of the pilgrims and return them home safely. Eid Mubarak. ------------------------ Spread the word. Follow the links below to invite more friends and families to join Friday Nasiha.

Friday Nasihah

Living The Quran Pilgrimage Al-Imran (The House of Imran) - Chapter 3: Verse 97 (partial) "Pilgrimage to this house is a duty owed to God by all people who are able to undertake it. As for those who disbelieve, God does not stand in need of anything in all the worlds." Pilgrimage is a personal obligation on every individual once in a lifetime, and it becomes due when the conditions of ability are fulfilled, including physical health, ability to travel and safe passage. Pilgrimage is the Muslims' annual general assembly which is held at the House from which their message was given to them for the first time, and which witnessed the birth of the pure faith of Abraham and which was the first House God has set up on earth for His own worship. Pilgrimage is, therefore, an assembly of great significance. Its historical associations centre round the noble concept of faith, which highlights the link between man and his Creator. Faith means man's spiritual response to God, a fact of great significance considering that only by the breathing of God's spirit has man acquired his humanity. It is a worthy concept to form the basis of human unity. Hence, it is appropriate that people should assemble every year at the Sacred Place which witnessed the birth of this call to mankind to unite on pure faith. Compiled From: "In The Shade of The Quran" - Sayyid Qutb, Vol 2, pp. 152, 153

Understanding the Prophet's Life The Witness On the ninth day of Dhul Hijja in the tenth year of hijrah, the Prophet, peace be upon him, addressed 144,000 pilgrims on the Mount of Mercy. He spoke in small portions, and men around him repeated his words so that everyone throughout the valley could hear his speech. The content of the message was powerful and intense, and the Prophet began by stating that he did not know whether he would again meet the pilgrims "in this place after this year." Then he reminded them of the sacred character of the place and month, as well as of that of their lives, their honour, and their belongings. He explained that the period of ignorance had come to an end, and so had its practices, its rivalries, and its conflicts based on power and profit. Henceforth, all Muslims were united by faith, fraternity, and love, which were to transform them into witnesses of Islam's message. They must under no circumstances accept being "either oppressors or oppressed." They were to learn of the equality of all poeple in front of God and the necessary humility becasue "you all descend from Adam and Adam was created from dirt. The most noble in the sight of God is the most pious. No Arab is superior to a non-Arab, except by their intimate consciousness of God [piety]." The Prophet reminded all the Muslims to treat their wives gently and added: "Be intimately conscious of God with regards to women, and strive to be good to them." Then he added, as if to show the Way and its conditions to all the faithful present and all those who were to follow his teachings through the ages: "I have left among you what will, if you keep to it firmly, preserve you from error: clear guidance, the Book of God and His Prophet's tradition." After each teaching the Prophet added: "Have I conveyed the Message? O God, be my witness!" At the end of the sermon, the pilgrims answered: "We bear witness that you have faithfully conveyed the message, that you have fulfilled your mission, and that you have given your community good advice." Then the Prophet concluded: "O God, be my wintess! ... And let whoever is present convey this message to whoever is absent." [Ibn Hisham] The Prophet was indeed a witness in front of the spiritual community of Muslims. In communion with them, at the heart of the pilgrimage - which itself requires simplicity and the unity of human beings before their Creator - the Messenger recalled the essential point in the One's message: the absolute equality of human beings before God, regardless of race, social class, or gender, for the only thing that distinguishes them lies in what they do with themselves, with their intelligence, their qualities, and most of all their heart. Compiled From: "In The Footsteps of The Prophet" - Tariq Ramadan, pp. 196, 197

Cool Concepts! Beginning and End The knowledge of where a verse begins and ends is essential for a number of reasons, including: 1. The acceptability of the prayer. Some scholars state that, if a person has not memorized the Fatiha, he must recite seven other verses of the Quran instead of it, and this cannot be done unless one knows the beginning and end of a verse. 2. The proper recitation of the Quran. It is preferrable - not mandatory - to pause at the end of every verse, and many scholars have stated that this is the Prophet's Sunnah. 3. The acceptability of the Friday sermon. Some scholars have stated that it is obligatory for the Friday sermon to include at least one full verse in it. 4. The ease in finding particular passages in the Quran. The finding of a particular passage is simplified by the knowledge and numbering of the verses of the Quran. Compiled From: "An Introduction to the Sciences of the Quran" - Yasir Qadhi, p. 152

My trip to Malaysia Part 10

Its been almost a year since I went to Malaysia, better wrap this up soon.

 We left early to take a flight from Kota Bharu to Kuala Lumpur which is a very quick trip; about half an hour.When we left the airport we took a bus and my seat had no seatbelt but others did. I guess even here buses don't have seatbelts. So many taxis also had no seatbelts at the back for my kids and I and was PO'd about that. Shame on Malaysia for still not updating this. We went to Midvalley Mega Mall but for the life of me I don't remember anything about it but my daughter wrote it in her diary so it must be true. We stayed at the Prescott Inn which was conveniently located close to everything and affordable. It was very clean and modern. Not a five star hotel but very acceptable. We walked a lot to local eateries which were cheap and delicious.Do not, I repeat do not,order western food at this hotel's restaurant. It was horrible. But as my husband said why are you ordering western food here in Malaysia anyway. He had a point. On this day I got to go to a place I've been dying to go to for so many years. You will see this picture on so many calendars, cookbooks etc and will probably not even know its in Malaysia. I'm talking about the Shah Alam mosque. Its a beautiful, large, blue domed mosque. I saw many quran classes going

how we got there.

on in the mosque and sat in the masjid area for a long time just soaking up the nur. There were lots of women who came to pray sunnah prayers wearing their lovely telekung (prayer garments). Around the mosque were people selling islamic clothing. When it was time to pray the imam began reciting my favourite surah;al-inshirah. It meant so much to me, to hear him recite fa inna illah yusri yusrah; verily after every difficulty comes relief, since my second time in Malaysia, was so much more pleasant than my first time, alhumdullilah.

Seeing Red

Last July, yeah I'm a little slow, ds3 tested and got his Red Belt. Masha Allah. He has beat out his older brother and everyone else in the family. Dd4 and ds5 still have not gotten their yellow belts even and have totally lost interest. The others make rare visits to prove to the teacher they still exist I guess, jk. Maybe next year dd5 can give it a whirl since she is always asking to go. I hope she will stick to it like ds3. When they first started she was just a baby in the car seat. As for me I don't know if I'll ever go back. Allahu alim..only God knows.

Friday Nasihah

Living The Quran Obedience Al-Imran (The House of Imran) - Chapter 3: Verse 32 "Say, 'Obey God and the Messenger.' If they turn their backs, God does not love the unbelievers." In his commentary of the verse Imam Ibn Kathir says that his verse indicates that to disobey God's Messenger is to reject the faith. God does not love anyone who may be described as an unbeliever, even though he may claim to love God. In his well-known biography of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, Imam Ibn al-Qayyim writes: "There are well documented reports of many a person from among the people who follow other religions or idolaters who have admitted that the Prophet was a messenger from God and that whatever he said was the truth, but they nevertheless did not become Muslims by that mere admission. When we consider this fact we are bound to conclude that to be a Muslim is much more than the mere knowledge or even the admission of the truthfulness of the Prophet's message; that knowledge and admission must be combined with conscious obedience of the Prophet and the implementation of his religion in every aspect of life." Compiled From: "In The Shade of The Quran" - Sayyid Qutb, Vol 2, p. 66

Understanding the Prophet's Life Remembering the Dead The Prophet, peace be upon him, has strongly recommended that the dead should be remembered only for their virtues and not for their failings. The seriousness of this type of insult is emphasised by the fact that the dead are unable to defend themselves against attacks on their personal integrity and good name. The Prophet has thus instructed the Muslims to 'mention only the virtues of your deceased ones and avoid talking about their misdeeds'. [Mishkat] In yet another Hadith he directs the believers to 'avoid reviling the dead as, by doing so, you hurt the feelings of their living relatives'. [Mishkat] To relate all this to the moral character of the believer, the Prophet has elsewhere declared that the avoidance of insulting others is indicative of the strength of one's character and faith. 'The believer is not abusive, nor is he a slanderer, nor does he curse.' [Mishkat] Compiled From: "Freedom of Expression in Islam" - Mohammad Hashim Kamali, pp. 180, 181

Blindspot! Personal Accountability One reason why taking responsibility and holding ourselvs accountable is challenging is that we live in an increasingly victimized society. To practice accountability is essentially a 180-degree turn from this basic, overwhelming cultural phenomenon of victimization. As the Russian proverb says, "Success has many fathers while failure is an orphan." On the other hand, this is also a reason why taking responsibility is so powerful in building trust. While victimization creates dependency and distrust, accountability creates independence and trust. And the geometric effect is powerful. When people - particularly leaders - hold themselves accountable, it encourages others to do the same. When a leader says, "I could have done that better - and I should have!" it encourages others to respond, "Well, no, I was really the one who should have noticed that. I could have supported you more." This is also true in a marriage or a family. When someone says, "I'm sorry I spent that money impulsively. That wasn't in harmony with our agreement," or "I shouldn't have yelled at you. That didn't show respect," or, on the other hand, "I committed to you that I'd be there, and I was," that acknowledgement of accountability encourages others to be accountable for their own behaviour. It also creates an environment of openness and trust. Compiled From: "The Speed of Trust" - Stephen M. R. Covey, p. 203

Friday Nasihah

Living The Quran Future Al-Araf (The Heights) - Chapter 7: Verse 188 "Say, 'I hold not for myself [the power of] benefit or harm, except what Allah has willed. And if I knew the unseen, I could have acquired much wealth, and no harm would have touched me. I am but a warner and a bringer of good tidings to a people who believe.'" The Prophet, peace be upon him, is the leader of all the Prophets. Many miracles are ascribed to him and people learned the religion from him. People acquired piety and righteousness by following his prescribed path. In this verse, Allah instructed him to give people an account of his helplessness making it clearly known to the people that he is neither capable of exercising any authority nor possess any knowledge of the unseen. One can easily derive from the fact that as long as he does not even possess an authority to gain a certain advantage for himself or to ward off an evil from inflicting him, how could he benefit or harm someone else. The knowledge of the unseen is one of the Attributes of Allah and the Prophet is His Messenger. The mission of a Messenger is to warn people about the dire consequences of bad actions and to give people glad tidings about virtuous deeds. The Prophets do not enjoy the distinction of having been awarded the keys to the unseen to the effect that they may have knowledge of someone's innermost feelings or could make predictions about whether or not someone is going to be blessed with a child, whether one's business is going to yield profit or incur a loss, or whether someone is going to emerge victorious in a battlefield or face a defeat. As far as the above things are concerned, everybody is equally unaware about them regardless of his status. However, certain remarks which are made in reference to a certain context out of one's wisdom do sometimes come true and sometimes they don't. Compiled From: "Taqwiyat-ul-Iman" - Shah Ismail Shaheed, pp. 74-76

Understanding the Prophet's Life Austere Living One day Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, came into the house of the Prophet, peace be upon him, to find him lying on a simple mattress which left its marks on his body. Umar started to sob. 'Why are you crying, O Umar', said the Prophet. 'I thought of Caesar and Chosroes sitting on thrones of gold, wearing silk. And you are the Messenger of God, yet here you are sitting on this simple mattress.' 'O Umar', said the Prophet, 'are you not satisfied that they have this world and we have the next?' So simple and austere were his living habits that he went half-hungry most of the time. Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, reported that for three consecutive nights, a fire was not kindled in the homes of the Prophet because there was nothing to be cooked. When asked how they managed, she said they depended on water and dates (the two blacks). Where is the basis for the image of a self-indulgent, luxury-loving ruler with his 'harem' which some critics of the Prophet have contrived to draw for him? Despite the austere simplicity of his life, the Prophet's homes were by no means unhappy or devoid of pleasure and delight. It is a great tribute to the personality of the Prophet that those homes, lacking any comfort or even abundance of food, were yet full of love and happiness. Compiled From: "Sunshine At Madinah" - Zakaria Bashier, pp. 154, 155

Blindspot! Emotion Educating the heart, the mind and the imagination in order to train ourselves to see better, hear better, smell better, taste better and touch better is one of the requirements of the autonomy and freedom that lie at the heart of modernity, of advanced technologies and of the globalization of the means of communication. In an age of global communications, anyone who has not been trained to be critical of information is a vulnerable, fragile mind who is open to all kinds of potential manipulations. We also need the time to distance ourselves, to analyse situations and to evaluate critically what we perceive. Nothing is easy. This spiritual exercise is crucially important because it gives meaning to the most elementary actions in life: seeing, hearing, touching ... and thinking, praying and creating. Spirituality consists in the added meaning that is inherent in even the simplest human actions. It may take the form of faith, thought, art or love, but it always involves a choice, an act of the free will, as opposed to emotion which is a passive reaction, imposed and sometimes uncontrolled: an ocean of difference between the two. Emotion is to spirituality what physical attraction is to love. Compiled From: "The Quest for Meaning" - Tariq Ramadan, p. 126

Friday Nasihah

Living The Quran Allah's Attributes Al-Shura (The Consultation) - Chapter 42: Verse 11 (partial) "There is nothing that is similar to Him" Since Allah's Attributes are unique, it is not possible for mankind to understand the exact nature of Allah's Names and Attributes, even though it is possible to understand the concept that any Name or Attribute refers to. For example, Allah has described Himself in the Quran as al-Hayy, which means, 'The Ever-Living.' Mankind understands that Allah is Ever-Living; that He was always with life, and will always be with life. He also understands that, even though he himself is alive, the life that he has is very different from the one that Allah describes Himself as having, for man's life was given to him, and it shall be taken away from him, in contrast to the characteristic of life that Allah describes Himself with. In addition, man does not have the power to create life, unlike Allah. So man has the characteristic of life, and Allah describes Himself as having the characteristic of life, but the actuality of the two characteristics differ as much as man differs from the Creator. Therefore, mankind understands the concept of Allah's name al-Hayy, but can never understand the actuality of it. The same analogy applies for the other Names and Attributes of Allah. Compiled From: "An Introduction to the Sciences of the Quran" - Yasir Qadhi, pp. 30, 31

Understanding the Prophet's Life Facilitation The Noble Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Make matters easy, not difficult" [Muslim] and "You are sent to facilitate matters and not make them difficult." [Tirmidhi] In this age of ours, people are in dire need as could ever be for facilitation, out of mercy for them. Their determination has weakened and they have become reluctant to pursue good activities while the obstacles in the path of goodness and their desire for committing evil has increased. It is therefore more advisable to give people the license of facility instead of ordering them to follow the strictest rules. This is what the Prophet did with the people who had just entered Islam, or with the bedouins of the desert. The Prophet used to accept those who vowed not to perform more than the basic faraidh and not perform the voluntary acts of ibadah; the Prophet used to say of them: "He will be successful if he is truthful (in what he said)" or "He will enter Paradise if he keeps his promise" or "If anyone of you want to see one of the people of Paradise, let him look at this man." The Prophet adopted such an attitude towards such people because of his kindness and consideration of their difficult circumstances. Compiled From: "Priorities of The Islamic Movement in The Coming Phase" - Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, pp.140, 141

Blindspot! Authoritarianism Textual literalism is not necessarily connected with intolerance, political radicalism or violence. On the positive side, the insistence of the Salafiyya on comparing societal practices with the practices of the early Muslim community allowed for the abandonment of some unjust customs, like the exclusion of women from the mosque. On the other hand, this approach can degenerate into a simplistic and literalist reading of the Quran and the Sunna. In particular, literalistic readings often diminish the relevance of historical context for understanding the true meaning of the Quran and the Prophet's Sunna. Such readings also give little attention to the need to reconcile particular rulings with general principles and values articulated in the Quran and the Sunna. Finally, literalistic readings can efface the role of the human interpreter. Decrying "man-made" institutions, literalists seem unaware of their own roles as human interpreters when they select particular passages to justify their positions. At the same time, we must also recognize that many Muslims who practice what might be called a "liberal" reading of the Quran can be as intolerant of other opinions as their ideological opponents. Intolerance is rooted in the belief that one's own reading is obviously correct, whether that reading is based on a literalistic approach to the text or on a conviction that (one's own) reason is such a perfect instrument for assessing truth, justice, and fairness that interpretations in conflict with that assessment are dismissed out of hand. This attitude is not just intolerant, but, in contemporary scholar Khaled Abou El Fadl's words, "authoritarian." He says, "Authoritarianism is the act of 'locking' or captivating the Will of the Divine, or the will of the text, into a specific determination, and then presenting this determination as inevitable, final, and conclusive." Compiled From: "The Story of the Qur'an: Its History and Place in Muslim Life" - Ingrid Mattson, pp. 212, 213

Eid baking.

Last Eid my kids made chocolate chip cookies,cheese cake and my daughter that's married made sugar cookies with cookie cutters I purchased from Lantern Court and dh and the kids made sugar cookies using a cookie gun

and I made two cakes; Hello Kitty which I was supposed to make a long time ago but things kept on happening like trips to Malaysia, lol and a Kit Kat cake. We brought the desserts to my son's house and ate them after a dinner at a restaurant to celebrate Eid.

My trip to Malaysia Part 9 Surprise Trip

Floating Mosque

Crystal Mosque

Well just before we were to go to KL my brother-in-law's wife (no word for that in English) suggested, no insisted that before we left that I should go once again to Terengganu, this time to see the Floating Mosque and the Crystal Mosque. I had vaguely heard of them before so I was game but was unsure if dh would agree to this last minute trip. I wasn't sure what was going to happen as everyone talks behind your back..ok fine talks in Malay while you stand there like a dummy, lol so was pleasantly surprised when the trip was on! So we were driven all the way down to the two mosques where we stopped first to get souvenirs and then to pray in the Floating mosque then went on the Crystal Mosque and Taman Tamadun Islam Edutainment Park. Later we went to A&W which is halal there and driving back in that area noticed the beautiful beaches which are so much better than in Kota Bharu..sorry to all Kelantanese but its true. The skies there are the most beautiful blue and seriously I could retire there if I could bring all my kids there with me. We had a wonderful time there with all the cute replica mosques and the amazing displays and films. I wish I could get  a copy of the film as it was so well done and informative and correct. I wished I had seen the Crystal Mosque during the night instead of the day because that is when its at its most spectacular best. All in all an amazing trip and I'm so happy we got to go and so grateful for kind in-laws.