Live In Deen

Government authorities in Beijing have ordered shops and halal restaurants to remove Arabic script and symbols associated with Islam from their signs, Reuters reported. “They said this is foreign culture and you should use more Chinese culture,” said the manager of a Beijing noodle shop, who, like all restaurant owners and employees who spoke to Reuters, declined to give his name due to the sensitivity of the issue. The man said that several government officials ordered him to cover up the “halal” in Arabic on his shop’s sign, and then watched him do it. The campaign against Arabic script and Islamic images marks a new phase of a drive that has gained momentum since 2016, aimed at ensuring religions conform with mainstream Chinese culture. Strict Religious Regulations A set of new religious regulations were announced on February 2018, which included a declaration requiring the national flag to be raised by local mosques along with the removal of non-Chinese Islamic symbols. Man...

A 130-year-old Indonesian Muslim has arrived Jeddah on Wednesday to perform the life-time hajj journey. The man is believed to be the oldest person to perform the Hajj pilgrimage, Arab News reported Wednesday. Ohi Aidros Samri visited the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with six family members. The elderly Indonesian national was welcomed at King Abdul Aziz International Airport by a number of officials who gave him flowers and trinkets as a gesture of goodwill. Earlier this month, a 102-year-old Thai Muslim woman arrived Makkah for hajj. Another 101-year-old Indian Muslim woman arrived Madinah to perform the life-time journey of Hajj ten days ago. The oldest person to previously perform Hajj was 104-year-old Ibu Mariah Marghani Muhammad from Indonesia. She made her pilgrimage in 2017. Muslims from around the world pour to Makkah every year to perform Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam. Hajj consists of several rituals , which are meant to symbolize the essential concepts of the...

Allah has chosen particular times, places and actions and made them special – filled with abundant opportunity to attain His pleasure. One of those well-known times is Ramadan . Although we regularly witness plentitudes of Muslims who strive to utilize the blessing of Ramadan – upon us right now, is another specially chosen time that gets far less attention: the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah. These days of Dhul Hijjah are packed with blessings and golden opportunities. We don’t want to allow them to pass by without using them wisely. While millions are answering the call of their Lord and making their way to Hajj, millions more are not. So what about all of us staying home with our usual lives ongoing during these sacred days? It is related that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said about these special days: There is no day more honorable in Allah’s sight and no acts more beloved therein to Allah than those in these ten days. So say tahlil (The...

Have you ever been through a difficult time in life when you were surrounded with many hardships? At that time, did you feel like all doors were closed and the whole world was against you? That is how Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) must have felt when he returned from Ta’if to Makkah. Prior to that, he had lost his two main supporters – his wife and uncle . But he never lost hope in the mercy and help of Allah. And one night, Allah opened the doors of Heaven for him. It was indeed an amazing and miraculous night. First was the miraculous Night Journey from Makkah to Jerusalem. Then, the ascension of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to Heaven. And finally, his return to Makkah. Some people claim that this  journey was all a dream that the Prophet (peace be upon him) had. But the truth is that these two journeys, the Israa and the Miraj, occurred in both body and spirit. They were one of the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) physical miracles. Focus Issues for New Conver...

Liverpool Muslim superstar Mohamed Salah has performed Umrah pilgrimage to Makkah before joining the team’s summer training camp in France, Al-Araby reported. Images showing the Liverpool icon wearing the white ihram were shared on social media. Salah is seen accompanied by two unidentified individuals dressed in traditional Gulf attire. The images were taken before Salah traveled to France to join his Liverpool teammates in training ahead of a Community Shield game against Manchester City on August 4. Salah played four games for Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations before their shock second-round exit to South Africa in Cairo on July 6. Salah is arguably one of the biggest Muslim sports stars in the world at present. Hailing from a Muslim-majority country, Salah is a devout Muslim who often prostrates to God on the field after scoring goals – a trend in sports that Egyptian players have started since 2006 during the African Cup of Nations in Egypt- hence nicknamed the ‘Prostrati...

What to do in Dhul-Hijjah Days if you are not performing Hajj this year? The blessed days of Dhul-Hijjah   are almost upon us! These are very special days. Our beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) described them as the days during which good deeds are more beloved to Allah than any other days. Pilgrims have a lot of things to do in Dhul-Hijjah days, but what about non-pilgrims? How can they make the most of them? Join Ustadh AbdelRahman Murphy in this great video.   Read Also: Want to learn more why these 10 days are very special? This article  lists 5 reasons. And if you need more tips and ideas to do in Dhul-Hijjah days, you may check these 8 practical tips .         The post Not a Pilgrim? Here Are 5 Things to Do in Dhul-Hijjah Days appeared first on About Islam . source https://aboutislam.net/shariah/refine-your-heart/tips-and-steps/not-pilgrim-things-do-in-dhul-hijjah-days/

Most, if not all problems and challenges facing Muslim youth in the West stem from two major factors: doubts and desires. 1. Doubts The doubts factor shows up in the form of questioning Allah almighty; misconceptions about His revelation; doubts related to faith; misunderstanding of certain practices of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him); etc. 2. Desires The desires factor accounts for such problem as addiction to pornography, drug abuse ; prohibited relationships and affairs etc. Empowering Muslim youth in the west In this talk, brother Muhammad Al-Mathil discusses how to shift the current paradigm in order to -correctly address and solve such problems. Secluding and stigmatizing youths who pose questions; dismissing and neglecting issues are no longer workable strategies. This lecture addresses both the youth and elders alike. Young men and women going through difficulties have responsibilities to bear in order to successfully and safely overcome their dilemmas. ...

This is a fictional piece of creative writing, inspired by the story of the Prophet’s Companions, Barirah and Mughith. Their story is famously quoted in books of hadith, and resonates with human experiences that are not often discussed amongst Muslims – that of love, both passionate and unrequited, of heartbreak, and of the tumultuous nature of the human heart. As demonstrated by Barirah and Mughith, even the best of Muslims go through deeply emotional moments in life, and it is not something that we need to be ashamed of. Barirah and Mughith How does one describe the bone-deep heartache of missing the person you left? How does one describe the bitterness of loving someone whom you never even really liked ? No one knows what Barirah felt when she left Mughith. Sometimes, I think I know. Other times, I wonder. When she turned her face, refusing to acknowledge his broken hearted weeping, did she feel her own heart break just a little? When she rejected the intervention of th...

Alhamduillahi rabul ‘alameen, I have been blessed by Allah (SWT) to perform the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages multiple times in my short 9 years as a Muslim. I work for the largest Muslim travel agency in the world as a female group leader and assist other Muslims in fulfilling their duty to Allah (SWT) in completing their 5 th  pillar of Islam – the Hajj. Time and time again I have people who are born into Islam tell me how “lucky” I am to have such an opportunity, but I remind them that it isn’t luck that’s on my side – it’s Allah. Allah in his infinite wisdom, has written this job for me and I’m incredibly humbled and thankful to do what I do. Although many times my job can be mentally and physically exhausting, the satisfaction I receive from guiding Allah’s honored guests in the most sacred place on earth, makes every difficulty throughout the journey completely worth it. Every year that I have prepared myself for Hajj, I am asked by a ...

As often as converts endlessly talk about the beauty of the day they took shahadah , the feeling of weightlessness, as Allah cleansed their past sins and blessed them with a clean slate. No one really talks about the aftermath of shahadah, how difficult it can be. Islam is not merely a religion but a way of life; and as per my experience, going from an extreme lifestyle to living as a practicing Muslim woman can be incredibly tough. Often in such situations, new Muslims can very easily and unintentionally isolate themselves; they try to protect their faith and stay away from activities and social situations that ultimately cannot coexist with Islam. When I became a Muslim nine years ago, I was 17, my friends were not Muslim; I had only one Muslim friend that I was speaking to in order to learn about Islam. The most difficult part was telling my friends that I had made the decision to become Muslim. It was frightening, the thought of being judged and abandoned by people that I had c...

When someone close to us dies, it is very difficult. Here is a beautiful dua for loved ones who have passed away. It asks Allah to have mercy on them and forgive them.   Prophet Muhammad in Loss and Grief The post Dua for Loved Ones who have Passed appeared first on About Islam . source https://aboutislam.net/multimedia/videos/dua-loved-ones-passed/

Getting to Jannah is not easy! Here are some simple tips to get to Jannah that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) taught us to do!   How Do We Get to Jannah? – 4 Ways The post Simple Tips to Get to Jannah appeared first on About Islam . source https://aboutislam.net/multimedia/videos/simple-tips-get-jannah/

Not many know the history behind the construction of the holy city of Makkah. This will open your eyes and mind to the wonderful building of Allah.   We Bet You Don’t Know These 14 Facts About Makkah The post How Makkah Came to Be appeared first on About Islam . source https://aboutislam.net/multimedia/videos/how-makkah-came-to-be/

In this article, first published in 2017, a British Muslim reflects on his Hajj experience  LONDON – With British Muslims well on their way to begin and complete the spiritual rites of Hajj, an experience which should allow people from all walks of life to be in the same place together, irrespective of social standing, some have gone with family, others have gone alone, as Dr Farah recounts her experience at London Heathrow Airport: “And so it begins… 5:45 am start to the day and emotional farewells, especially from our eldest son. Lord Almighty, please keep him safe from adversity, answer his prayers, accept his Hajj and return him safely to us.” A ritual whose reward is the removal of all sins, allowing a person to reset, to begin again, often has men and women the world over reaching out to their families, friends, even their enemies, seeking their forgiveness for an injustice that they may have endured. Good humour is, of course, a trait encouraged by the Prophet and the co...

In cooperation with the Associated Ministries of Tacoma-Pierce County, a group of Muslim organizations will hold the first ‘Sharing Our Stories – Meet Your Muslim Neighbors’ event at Skyline Presbyterian Church in Tacoma city, Washington State, Public News Service reported on July 30. “The goal is to find common ground with people through personal stories. It’s evident that his kind of relationship-building worked as an antidote to Islamophobia in the past,” believes Aneelah Afzali , head of the American Muslim Empowerment Network at the Muslim Association of Puget Sound. The event comes as the first in a series of interfaith events organized by American Muslim groups who want to build bridges with their neighbors. The event’s idea sparked in Afzali’s mind when she spoke with two women last year at a Longview event who never had met a Muslim. “They actually cried to me. They admitted that they had hatred in their heart, that they had fear in their heart and that that two hours r...

In the year when they achieved victory of Makkah , the Prophet and the companions entered Makkah. As they entered Makkah, the Prophet (peace be upon him) went to the Ka’bah but found it locked. The key of the Kabah used to be kept by a man known as Uthman ibn Talhah. Uthman ibn Talhah was not Muslim at the time. So he locked the doors of the Kabah and he ran right up to the roof and hid there. So when the Prophet (peace be upon him) entered Makkah, most of the people of Makkah were accepting Islam as he was entering, he asked for the key of the Kabah. The people told him that it is with Uthman ibn Talhah, and they found him on the top of the roof of the Ka’bah . So Ali told him: “O Uthman, give us the key. Here is Muhammad (peace be upon him) asking for the key.” He said: “O Muhammad, if I had believed that you were a Prophet, I would have opened the doors a long time ago.” What this means is, “I don’t believe that you are a Prophet, so I’m not going to open the door.” Ali ...

Though the title is traditionally given to older Muslim women who have performed Hajj, Christchurch massacre victim Hussein Al-Umari used to call his little sister Aya as ‘Hajjah’ to tease her about her age. This year, 33-year-old Aya is set to be officially a hajjah as she prepares to perform the life-time journey of Hajj after her brother was killed in the March-15 massacre, Stuff reported on July 29. “My brother would be very happy that I would fulfill the real meaning of the word next week,” Aya Al-Umari said sadly while recalling her killed elder brother. Aya, a bank employee, is among 200 people bereaved and injured by the March 15 terrorist attack in Christchurch, New Zealand who will be going to Makkah for Hajj pilgrimage , paid for by Saudi Arabia. The two siblings have arrived in New Zealand with their parents from the UAE in 1997 aged 10 and 12. Hussein was a tourism worker and he was in between jobs when he was killed while attending Al Noor Mosque Friday noon pr...

You meet people who look at you and they insult religion and insult you. This is not because they don’t like you, this is not because they mean what they are saying. It’s because in their heart, they have gone to hardness and they have misled themselves and they don’t even realize it. Because Allah says in the Quran: If you forget me I will cause you to forget yourself. ( 59:19 ) You won’t even realize why you’re like that. And his solution is one. All he has to do is what Allah says in the Quran: So flee to Allah. Indeed, I am to you from Him a clear warner. ( 51:50 ) Run Back to Him Allah is saying to you run back to Him. It can’t get more romantic and beautiful than that. He is saying: “I don’t want you to go, come back!” And the moment you make repentance and you’re saying: “O Allah forgive me…” Do you feel the burning? Do you feel the eyes welling up? You can feel the heart when you’re going to pray, you can feel the emotions coming. This isn’t you… you can’t decide,...

American Muslim Olympian shattered a 16-year-old record in 400-meter hurdles at the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships in Iowa Sunday, BBC reported. “I’m just shocked,” Muhammad said after her win. “I’ve been kind of hitting that time in practice and my coach was like ‘there’s no way you can’t do it.’” Performing on the final day of the US National Championships in Iowa, the 29-year-old runner clocked in a time of 52.20 seconds taking 0.17 seconds off the record set by Russian athlete Yuliya Pechonkina in 2003. Muhammad won the gold medal in the 400-meter hurdles during the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. As a high school student, she won the 2007 IAAF World Youth title, according to her profile on Team USA’s website . The 2016 Olympic champion suggested, however, that her newly-set record will soon be broken again. “That 52 is going to get broke, if not by me, by the other women,” the runner said. Muhammad was born February 7, 1990, in Jamaica, Queens, in New Yo...

When Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) completed the building of the Ka`bah, Almighty Allah commanded  him to call people to Hajj. Prophet Abraham  pleaded, “O Allah, how shall my voice reach all humankind?” Almighty Allah told him that his duty was only to make the call and that it was up to Allah to make it heard by people. Prophet Abraham  then climbed Mount `Arafat and, as loud as he could, yelled, “O People, verily, Allah has prescribed Hajj for you, so perform  it.” The following verse from the Qur’an refers to the fact that Almighty Allah commanded Prophet Abraham to call people to Hajj: {And proclaim unto humankind the pilgrimage: They will come unto you on foot and on every lean camel; they will come from every deep ravine. } (Al-Hajj 22:27) To this day, millions upon millions of Muslims continue to answer the call of Prophet Abraham. May Allah help us all be among those who answer this noble call. `Amr  ibn Al-`Aas related, When Islam entere...

A Muslim non-profit organization, Yusuf’s Day of Hope, has raised $220,000 over the past 13 years to support Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children and to honor Yusuf Ally, a young child who suffers from a rare genetic disorder. “An overwhelming successful 13th annual Yusuf’s Day of Hope (YDOH) in support of the Complex Care Initiative at the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto,” said Imam Imran Ally, father of Yusuf and Imam of TARIC Islamic Centre, thanking supporters following the annual picnic on Sunday, July 28 at the TARIC Mosque. “Over the 13 years, this annual one-day outdoor family style picnic event has so far raised an astonishing total of just over $220,000 – all of which is donated to the Complex Care Initiative. Jazaa kumullaahu khairaa for your generous support, much appreciated.” Yusuf’s Day of Hope raises funds to support the Norman Saunders Complex Care Initiative at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. Yusuf’s parents, Imam Imran and Kameeza Ally, started t...