Eid Mubarak!

Eid Mubarak everyone! (Whatever day you may be celebrating it on)

InshaAllah you all had a blessed Ramadhaan and took advantage of all the opportunities. InshaAllah all of our good deeds will be accepted and our good habits will stick with us throughout the year!

Enjoy your day!

-radf

Allahumma sali ala sayyidina muhammadin an-Nabbiyil ummiyi Wa ala alihi wa sahbihi wa salim.

Trying to Understand Thoughts of a Hijaabi

My good friend told me that she reads my blog but has a hard time trying to understand it. So I decicded to make like a little dictioanry for the words that I use on my site that may be hard to understand:

aSw=Assalam ‘alaykum: literal meaning is “Peace be unto you,” a greeting Muslims use.

hamdulillah-its really written al-hamdulillah but I juss write funny: literal meaning is “All praises be to Allah,” it can also be said when hearing good news, when sneezing, or I juss usually say hamdulillah a lot

inshaAllah: “If Allah wills,” its said when you are intending to do something, or like when you are hoping for something, ex: “inshaAllah I will get a really high GPA this semester!”

mashaAllah: “What Allah Likes,” say when you appreciate something

subhanAllah: “Glory be to Allah,” say when you praise someone or something.

JazakAllah//JazakAllah Khayr: “May Allah reward you,” you say it when thanking someone

juss=just-I juss don’t know proper English.

du’as: supplication

Ummah: community or nation

Allahumma sali ala sayyidina muhammadin an-Nabbiyil ummiyi Wa ala alihi wa sahbihi wa salim: Salawat for the Prophet Muhammed (peace and blessing be upon him)-a way to remember him, there are different Salawat’s

radf: my pen name

Ya Rubb: Oh My Lord, kind of like Oh My God

[Ya] Rahman: [Oh] Compassioante One

[Ya] Raheem: [Oh] Merciful One

[Ya] Lateef: [Oh] Subtle One

Allahu Alam: Allah [God] Knows Best

Tawaqqul: Trust in Allah [God]

deen: religion

dunya: world

akhirah: after life

fardh: a duty or act which is obligatory upon every Muslim, an act which every Muslim must do, it has been written in the Qur’aan

waajib: an obligatory act

mustahab: an act which is done will be rewarded, if not, nothing will happen, also known as nafl

sunnah: something Prophet Muahmmed (peace and blessings be upon him) said, did, or liked

makrooh: an act which should be avoided

haraam: an act which is forbidden

halal: something lawful

Qur’aan: The Holy book for Muslims

Salah: prayer

Eid Mubarak!: translates to “blessed festival,” it’s the greeting Muslims says to Each other on Eid which is an Islamic holiday. Throughout the year there are two holidays Muslims celebrate Eid ul-Adha and Eid ul-Fitr.

Eid ul-Fitr: Muslim holiday which is celebrated after the end of the month of Ramadhaan

Ramadhaan: month where Muslims do not eat or drink from sunrise to sunset for a month

Eid ul-Adha: Muslim holiday which rememers Prophet Ibraheem who was willing to sacrfice his son for the sake of Allah (God)

Fajr: prayer performed before sunrise

Zuhr: prayer performed early in the afternoon

Asr: prayer performed in the late afternoon

Maghrib: prayer performed after sunset

Esha: prayer performed at night time

Ok so I hope that helps, if I think of anything else I’ll come back and edit the list but for now I think it’s pretty sufficient.

Take care inshaAllah, and please keep me and the Ummah in your du’as.

-radf

Allahumma sali ala sayyidina muhammadin an-Nabbiyil ummiyi Wa ala alihi wa sahbihi wa salim.

aw, now you know what all that means

Ramadhaan Around the World

My friend e-mailed this to me and I thought it was very nice. It’s an article, well not really, it’s 35 photos of Muslims in different places and its juss nice. I don’t know, I’m a photo person, I like pictures. If you have time go to the article and see the pictures. (Click here)

Muslim faithful throughout the world are currently observing the holy month of Ramadan. Observant Muslims participate in fasting (sawm), one of the five pillars of their faith, this entire Lunar month (this year it extends from September 1st to the 30th). Eating, drinking, smoking and sexual activity is prohibited from dawn until sunset, when the fast is broken with the evening meal called Iftar. Local customs define varying traditions, including differing types of food used to break the daily fast. The fasting is meant to teach a person patience, humility and sacrifice, to set aside time to ask forgiveness, practice self-restraint, and pray for guidance in the future. (35 photos total)

Take care inshaAllah.

-radf

Allahumma sali ala sayyidina muhammadin an-Nabbiyil ummiyi Wa ala alihi wa sahbihi wa salim.

ONE

I found this on Sr. Doa’s blog, I’ve known of the One campaign but I’m really not that familiar with it, but this really is a great idea! The One campaign aims to end hunger and poverty, now they came up with One Sabbath-all faiths coming together to try to end poverty and hunger. A great way for everyone to come together, put their differences aside and to make a real difference. Please take a couple of minutes out of your time and watch it, it really is worth it:

Take care inshaAllah, the last 10 days of Ramadhaan are here-make the best of it!

Please keep me, and the entire Ummah in your du’as!!!!!!

-radf

Allahumma sali ala sayyidina muhammadin an-Nabbiyil ummiyi Wa ala alihi wa sahbihi wa salim.

Apparently We Don’t Learn From History

Ya Lateef, check out the headlines:

Fed in an $85 Billion Rescue of an Insurer Near Failure

Perhaps, It’s Time To Play Offense

Stocks Dive in Early Trading

Russia Halts Trading on Concern for Banks

Money Market Fund Says Customers Could Lose Money

Gasoline Prices Rise, But at a Slower Pace

Ya Rahman, Ya Raheem, juss help us all out through these harsh times.

Keep us all healthy, strong, and patient to get through these times.

Ramadhaan is already halfway through: “Its beginning is mercy, its middle is forgiveness, and its ending is liberation from the Hellfire.”

Take care inshaAllah, please keep me, and the Ummah in your du’as.

-radf

Allahumma sali ala sayyidina muhammadin an-Nabbiyil ummiyi Wa ala alihi wa sahbihi wa salim.

Muslim’s Face Fasting Restrictions

I found this on HAhmed’s Blog. If you have time watch it, or if you do not want to watch it you can read about it below the video. As HAhmed mentioned in his post, we should be so thankful for our religious freedom, we should be so thankful that we have to right to be able to fast. May Allah accept all of our fasts, good deeds, and continue allowing us to fast and practice Islam openly!

Curbs Imposed on Muslims in Western China During Ramadhaan

By: EDWARD WONG

Published: September 8, 2008

BEIJING — Local governments in a Muslim desert region in western China have imposed strict limits on religious practices during the traditional Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which began last week, according to the Web sites of four of those governments.

The rules include prohibiting women from wearing veils and men from growing beards, as well as barring government officials from observing Ramadan. One town, Yingmaili, requires that local officials check up on mosques at least twice a week during Ramadan.

The local governments administer areas in the western part of Xinjiang, a vast autonomous region that is home to the Uighurs, a Muslim Turkic people who often chafe under rule by the ethnic Han Chinese. In August, a wave of attacks swept through Xinjiang, the largest surge of violence in the region in years. Some local officials blamed separatist groups for the instability, and the central government sent security forces to the area.

The limits on religious practices put in place by local governments appear to be part of the broader security crackdown. The areas affected by the new rules are near Kuqa, a town struck by multiple bombings on Aug. 10.

It was unclear whether the rules would be relaxed after Ramadan, an observance that some Islamic extremists have used elsewhere as a symbolic backdrop for attacks on their perceived enemies. It was also unclear how the Chinese authorities intended to enforce the rules, which appeared to run the risk of antagonizing devout Muslims who present no obvious security threat.

The Web site of the town of Yingmaili lists nine rules put in place to “maintain stability during Ramadan.”

They include barring teachers and students from observing Ramadan, prohibiting retired government officials from entering mosques and requiring men to shave off beards and women to doff veils. Mosques cannot let people from outside of town stay overnight and restaurants must maintain normal hours of business. Because of the sunrise-to-sunset fasting, many restaurants would normally close during daytime for Ramadan.

In nearby Xinhe County, the government has decreed that Communist Party members, civil servants and retired officials must not observe Ramadan, enter mosques or take part in any religious activities during the month. Worshipers cannot make pilgrimages to tombs, so as “to avoid any group event that might harm social stability,” according to the Xinhe government’s Web site.

In addition, children and students cannot be forced to attend religious activities, and women cannot be forced to wear veils.

County rules also emphasize the need to maintain a strict watch over migrant workers and visitors from outside the county. Companies and families that have workers or visitors from outside the county are required to register the outsiders with the nearest police station and have them sign an agreement “on maintaining social stability.”

Shayar County, which includes the town of Yingmaili, said on its Web site that migrants must register with the police, and that any missionary work by outsiders was banned.

Huang Yuanxi contributed research.

Source: The New York Times

Take care insaAllah, and be so thankful that you’re allowed to fast.

Keep me and the Ummah in your du’as.

-radf

Allahumma sali ala sayyidina muhammadin an-Nabbiyil ummiyi Wa ala alihi wa sahbihi wa salim.

Think of Those in Need

I pray that all of you are in the best state of iman and health and that you are all taking advantage of this blessed month. It is Ramadhaan, a chance for us to take advantage of all the oppurtunities we have to get as many extra blessings that we can get! Today I got an e-mail from one of my friends telling me about the situation in Louissiana. I really have no clue about what’s going on in the world right now. I’ve been so busy lately and haven’t had time to look at the news. Anyway the situation is pretty bad and I thought I should let you all know about it. We have brothers and sisters that need our help right here in the US, so lets help them out! Read about them below and at the very least, keep themand the rest of the Ummah in your thoughts and du’as. Here is the e-mail that I received:

As salamu alaykum,

PLEASE READ BELOW, SUBHANALLAH WE’RE *SO* BLESSED

EVERYONE CAN DEFINITELY AFFORD TO DONATE AT LEAST $10 OR $50 OR EVEN $100+ (OR at least let us keep our brothers and sisters in our du’as in this month inshaa’Allah)

Remember, we’re NOT true
believers until we want for our brothers and sisters
what we want for ourselves

=========================

asSalaamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh

Imagine the following:
The days are hot and humid, but you can’t turn on the A/C, as you’ve been living without electricity for days.  Today, you waited in line for 4 hours to fill your car with gas. The food in your fridge slowly diminishes, and you can’t even go buy more because supplies are extremely low; what little you have left slowly rots because there is no power.

And all of this is happening while you are fasting, because it is the month of Ramadan.

This isn’t some hypothetical nightmare scenario.  This is the reality our Muslim brothers and sisters are living with in Louisiana.

As many of you know, Hurricane Gustav swept through the area early last week. More than 1.9 million people have been evacuated from their homes, with 200,000 being residents of New Orleans alone.  The entire communities of over 8 masajid were forced to leave, while those remaining are not allowed to even hold taraweeh prayers due to the curfew imposed on the region.

Muslims prepare for Ramadan and Hurricane Gustav

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bHHfJtf0wo

Brothers and sisters, remember the great blessings Allah (SWT) has bestowed upon you.  While we relax here in our cool houses, eat our fill for suhoor and iftar, and listen to beautiful recitation at our masajid late into the night, our brothers and sisters in Louisiana have none of these amenities and struggle to survive on a daily basis.  Remember the Muslims living in hardship and include them in your du’a and qunoot, each and every day.

For more information and to learn how you can help, visit:
http://www.icnarelief.org (donate as Gustav relief)

May Allah (SWT) have Mercy on them, and make this a means of expiation for their sins.  May Allah (SWT) give them patience in this trying time, keep them steadfast, and relieve their suffering.  May Allah (SWT) accept our deeds and be pleased with us, and enter us all into Jannat alFirdaws.  Ameen.

“Allatheena ithaa asaabat-hum museebatun qaaloo ‘Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji`un’.” ([And to those] when afflicted with misfortune say, “To Allah we belong, and to Him is our return.”) [Surat Al-Baqarah 156].

Jazakumullahu Khairan

Take care inshaAllah.

-radf

Allahumma sali ala sayyidina muhammadin an-Nabbiyil ummiyi Wa ala alihi wa sahbihi wa salim.

My Brother

The blog world is quite very interesting. I used to be very bloggish, I would check everyone’s blog, see who updated, who made changes, post anything that appealed to me from other people’s blogs… But ever since this summer I haven’t really been much of a blogger, I’ve been so busy with life that I only go on to post if I have something interesting that I thought of or if my brother told me about something interesting that he found. Today I realized how interesting it is that I “know” people by their blog name and really have no idea who they are- unless if they’re a friend or something but other than that I really have no other way of knowing. The internet is so weird, you can talk to someone-or in the blog world communicate to someone through posts or comments and you don’t even have to know who they are or where they are. But it was the other day that I realized how helpful the internet truly can be when I talked to my brother through Skype. He’s over seas for school and the only way that we can communicate is internet such as aim or google chat or Skype. It made me realize how hard life can be, and how hard it is to have to talk to someone through a computer screen instead of being able to talk to them face to face like you usually would. Well that crazy lon intro is juss me trying to say that this post is dedicated to my brother.

Yes, Thoughts of a Hijaabi has a brother, 3 actually and I’m sure some of you know that from other posts that I have published in the past. Some of you may know my older brother as Journey of a Traveller-whose blog is now not functioning due to personal reasons, or perhaps you know him for you’re a member of the famous Stony Brook MSA, or maybe you know him from around-heck maybe you have no idea who he is and you’re reading this post thinking what is this crazy hijaabi ranting about now? Well I do rant a lot, but this time the ranting is about my brother who has left his home and is off in Medical school. To tell you a little about my family, my brothers and I don’t really go places without each other. It would usually be like me and my older brother would go places together, or my two younger brothers would go places together or we’d all go together. The four of us usually aren’t separated, the longest the four of us were separated from each other was last summer when my brother decided to go an Umrah trip, that was almost a month and we all thought it was forever! Now he’s gone away for 2 years and maybe I’ll see him sometime in between that but not until 8 or 9 months (I think?)

But my brother wasn’t juss my older brother. To me my brother was like my best friend. You’re probably thinking how weird, sadly we live in a society where siblings kind of want to kill each other, they can’t stand each other and they try to stay away from each other as much as they can. But I don’t understand that. I mean yeah we would sometimes have our fights, but we never really fought fought, we would get mad at each other and then a couple minutes later we’d forget that we were mad. I think the only time that we would actually fight would be over books, who gets to keep what book, who gets to put what book on whose shelves.. we really like books. My younger brothers and I sometimes fight but there is a pretty big age gap between us and its usually over silly things that aren’t really fights. But anyway my brother and I are very close. I mean I would go to him and talk to him about everything. I would go to him and tell him everything that happened to me during my day, seriously every single thing and he would listen. Seriously I don’t know how he would listen because when I talk I tend to speed up. But my brother would listen to it all-and not fall asleep. I made him take me shopping for jilbaabs, and I even dragged him to MSA East Zone ‘08, because I didn’t want to go alone so he was the one who I dragged along with me. I was so dependent on him, he would take me to lectures, and we would volunteer at the Soup Kitchen together. He knows me better than any other person and even though I bother him so much he was always there for me.

But most of all he has helped me out with my deen so much. As I mentioned I made him take me to East Zone, and he would always take me to lectures and he helped me make the right friends that will help me out with my deen. When I would feel frustrated or sad or angry he was the one who would give me the deen boost that I needed. Khayr there is still ways of contacting him but now when life hurts me or when I feel lost I juss turn to my Rubb for some peace and serenity.

Hamdulillah I am so thankful for the brother that I have and now I have to be the “man of the house.” Juss kidding but not really, I do have two younger brothers who are stuck with me for two years and I hope that I can be a good example for them to look up to, like my brother has been for me.

May Allah give my brother success in everything that he does.

May Allah protect and have mercy on my brother.

May Allah reward my brother for everything he does.

InshaAllah Allah will help us all out with this new semester of school, and help us all take advantage of this blessed month of Ramadhaan.

Try to do as many good deeds as you can.

Please keep me and my family in your du’as.

And it is Ramadhaan so I leave you with this:

Once Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) asked Allah (SWT): O Allah! You have granted me the honor and privilege of talking to you directly, Have you given this privilege to any other person? Allah (SWT) replied, O Musa during the last period I am going to send an Ummah (Community or Nation), who will be the Ummah of Muhammad (SAW) with dry lips, parched tongues, emaciated body with eyes sunken deep into their sockets, with livers dry and stomachs suffering the pangs of hunger – will call out to me (in dua) they will be much much closer to me than you O Musa! While you speak to me there are 70,000 veils between you and me but at the time of iftaar there will not be a single veil between me and the fasting Ummati of Muhammad (SAW). O Musa I have taken upon myself the responsibility that at the time of iftaar I will never refuse the dua of a fasting person!

Take care inshaAllah

-radf

Allahumma sali ala sayyidina muhammadin an-Nabbiyil ummiyi Wa ala alihi wa sahbihi wa salim.

Ramadhaan Mubarak!

Tonight will be the first Taraweeh! Hamdulillah we have been blessed to see another Ramadhaan, lets take advantage of this blessed month and try to make it our best one! Below are my notes about Ramadhaan from last year and the year before, take some time out and read it, I hope that they will benefit you inshaAllah.

(Note: the following information was mostly taken from Faza’il-e-A’maal and some random lectures, any mistake(s) made is my own fault/misunderstanding of the context and may Allah(SWT) forgive me, InshaAllah.)

• In Ramadan fasting is Fard by day, and Taraweeh is Sunnah by night.
• In Ramadan performing a Nafl act is equivalent to the reward of Fard act.
• In Ramadan performing a Fard act is equivalent to 70 Fard acts any other time.
• This is the month of patience.
• Show sympathy to one another.
• The first 10 days of Ramadan bring’s Allah’s mercy.
• The next 10 days of Ramdan bring’s Allah’s forgiveness.
• The Last 10 days brings emancipation from the fire of Jahanam.
• Allah turns to us and sends us his special mercy.
• Allah forgives our faults, accepts our prayers.
• Allah boasts to his Malaa’ikah about us.
• Try to recite Kalima Tayyiba.
• Try to think of Ramadhaan as a month of purification.
• Make Istighfar (to please Allah)
• Beg for entry into Jannah.
• Seek refuge in Allah from Jahanum (these we can not do with out)
• The fish in the sea seek forgiveness for the fasting person on their behalf until the person breaks their fast.
• The smell from the mouth of a fasting person is sweeter to Allah than the smell of musk.
• Allah prepares and decorates a special garden in Jannah everyday and says to it “The time is near when faithful servants cast aside the greatest trials of the world and come to you.”
• Angel Jibrael said to Prophet Muhammed(صلى الله عليه و سل)”Woe to him who found the blessed month of Ramadan and let it pass without gaining forgiveness,” and Prophet Muhammed(صلى الله عليه و سل) said “Ameen!”
• The du’aa of a fasting person is not rejected until he breaks his fast.
• Allah and his Malaa’ikah send mercy upon those who eat suhoor.
• Daily recitation of the Qur’aan is encouraged.
• Great time for Dawah.
• Make sure you pay your Zakah.
• Try to stay in Wudhu at all times.
• Respect to all Adults(***especially children to parents***)
• Fasting is a protective covering for a man as long as he does not tear that protection.
• Try to think of this month as your last month of Ramadhaan.
• Try to be in continous Istighfaar. (Think, if the Sahaba and our beloved Nabi(SAW) made so much Istighfaar how many times a day should we be making Istighfaar?)
• Think of Ramadhaan as the month of training. Shaytaan is locked up, if you want to become a better person start now and do it continuously for 30 days, so when Ramdhaan is over it will not be as hard for you to continue throughout the year. (***Sisters this is a great time to start practicing Hijaab ***)
• Don’t waste a minute of your time, always make du’aa, or ask for forgiveness, or make du’aa for our Ummah, not everyone is as blessed as we are so think of our Ummah and keep them in your hearts and ask Allah to have some ease on the ones who are suffering!
• If you watch T.V. try to keep it off during the month of Ramadhaan (Not trying to criticize, I watch T.V. sometimes but during Ramdhaan I keep it off.)
• If you listen to music try to say goodbye to it for a month (I have the occassional Outlandish song but during Ramdhaan it is good bye to Outlandish as well.)
• If you find tha tyou have nothing better to do simply pick up a Mushaf and start reading the Qur’an. If you don’t know how to read the Qur’an ask your fellow brother or sister to shed some light on to you, there’s no better time to learn than now and the blessing for reading Qur’an in Ramdhaan is tremendous.
• Husbands shouldn’t keep there wives stuck in the kitchen. If you are married try to help your wives out in the kitchen or by not throwing a lot of crazy iftaar parties (Doesn’t that sound off to you? Can you belive we ahve things called iftaar parties, Allah…)
• Make sure to help whoever is always in the kitchen with the coking and cleaning whether it be your mother, wife,sister etc…
• Also remember that during Ramadhaan you see peopl that you normally don’t always see, try to get to know a couple of new brothers and sisters (***Note: No I am not trying to promote male and female interaction, I mean brothers get to know a couple of new brothers and sisters try to get ot know a couple of new sisters, you never know who you may effect for the better inshaAllah***)

Suhr:

• Waking up at a certain time before Fajr to eat.
• Make sure you wake up for Suhr because there is great barakah in Suhr.
• Allah and the Angels are giving blessings to those who make Suhr.
• The difference between a Muslims and Ahlay Kitaab is waking up for Suhr.

Also, Perform Salat-tu-Tasbeeh, this Salah can be reported once a day, every Friday, once a month, once a year, or at least once in a life time(Its been reported that the reward for this Salah is forgiveness for all sins,whether committed knowingly or unknowingly, minor or major.) I know that many people that tell me that they aren’t familiar with Salat-ut-Tasbeeh so here’s juss some quick notes about how to perform it:

• Make niyyah for 4 rakaats Nafl Salat-ut-Tasbeeh.
• After Takbeer Tahrima recite Thana.
• Recite the 3rd kalima 25 times.
• Recite Surah Fatiha.
• Go into ruku and recite the 3rd kalima 10 times (while in ruku)
• In qaumah recite the 3rd kalima 10 times.
• First sajdah read 3rd kalima 10 times, repeat for second sajdah.
• Continue above steps, when you are done the 3rd kalima will have been read 300 times, Alhamdulillah

Take care inshaAllah and Ramadhaan Mubarak everyone!

-radf

Allahumma sali ala sayyidina muhammadin an-Nabbiyil ummiyi Wa ala alihi wa sahbihi wa salim.