Live In Deen: June 2020

Muslim Students Proceed with a Socially-Distant Graduation

It was a hot and sunny Saturday in Atlanta, GA, when Muslim students from Mohamed Schools of Atlanta participated in a socially-distant graduation ceremony.

Typically, senior graduation is held in May for Mohamed Schools but this year, a decision was made to delay the senior graduation to the end of June.

Hitting the world months ago, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a direct impact on many senior graduations, as most schools decided to hold their ceremonies online to honor the restrictions of a nationwide quarantine.

Read Also: Our Kids and COVID-19 Lockdown

Throughout this country, schools leaders were forced to make tough decisions about how they would continue to celebrate their graduating classes without violating social distant regulations.

Mohamed Schools of Atlanta, GA, decided to postpone their ceremony and hold an online commencement for the public and an on-site commencement for close family and friends.

“The 29th commencement for W.D. Mohammed High School will be very different from all of our other commencements. It will be streamed online, no onsite space for fans and supporters. Please join us via Facebook Live,” Mohamed Schools of Atlanta shared in a Facebook post.

Onsite Ceremony

A High School Student: I Want to Marry My Teacher

Originally, Mohamed Schools of Atlanta planned on hosting a drive-through graduation ceremony during the last week of May. The event was planned to honor the seniors and respect social distance guidelines. However, a last minute decision was made to cancel this event and proceed with a delayed graduation.

This decision intended to adequately honor the hard working students with a graduation in the outside parking of the school. Strict six feet guidelines were enforced throughout the ceremony.

The school invested in family tents for each Graduate’s attending family members. These tents were held six feet apart and allowed for family members to attend the graduation. Each graduate was instructed to wear a mask and stand six feet away for one another.

What about other local schools?

The Reality of Being a Divorced Muslim Woman

Islamic schools faced a tough decision to delay graduations or conduct fully online commencements for their students.

Although Mohamed Schools decided to proceed with a restricted commencement, other local Islamic schools opted for holding an online ceremony.

Al-Falah Academy, located in Gwinnett County, GA, graduates a senior class annually.

However, they made a tough decision this year to offer a commencement program online via Zoom.

In addition to their digital commencement program, they surprised each senior with a visit from the entire teaching staff. Each senior was offered gifts, balloons, and car hunks that could be heard miles away.

Book A Muslim, a booking, marketing & management agency for Muslim speakers & artists, held a virtual graduation one month ago.

This event featured well known speakers and prominent figures, such as Dalia Mohamed and Mahmoud Abdur Rauf. Each celebrity named senior graduates and offered words of wisdom for students navigating this difficult time.

The post Muslim Students Proceed with a Socially-Distant Graduation appeared first on About Islam.

source https://aboutislam.net/muslim-issues/n-america/muslim-students-proceed-with-a-socially-distant-graduation/

Meet the Youngest Muslim Holding Public Office in Skokie, IL

At the age of 22, American Muslim Bushra Amiwala is making history for being the youngest Muslim to hold a public office in Skokie, Illinois, and the United States as a whole.

Amiwala is a member of Skokie School District 73.5 Board of Education; and she now holds the seat through April 2023.

Her first encounter with polls started when she ran for Cook County Board of Commissioners at the age of 19.

However, she did not make it at the time for some reasons.

“People always talked about how, ‘She’s the young Muslim woman’ or the ‘young Muslim teen running for office.’ With that, no one really knew my name – even in articles,” Amiwala told WTTW.

The young Muslim’s involvement in politics started when she joined various clubs and participated in debates at school.

“It wasn’t until I took an AP Government and Politics class my senior year of high school that I became really interested in politics.”

Prior to her run for office, Amiwala’s interest had always been in volunteering and nonprofit work.

“I was brought up with pretty strong Islamic principles. Charity giving is one of the pillars of Islam,” Amiwala said.

“Giving back to charity is something that I didn’t really have the financial means to do. So for me giving my time is where I was able to bridge that gap.”

Empathetic Leader

Now, she hopes to be an empathetic American Muslim leader.

“Being a Muslim woman in the age after 9/11 and being hyperaware of the different ways some people are treated makes me a more empathetic leader in the world,” Amiwala said.

Amiwala might be the youngest, but there are other young Muslim women who have also made history by getting elected into the US high offices.

For instance, in November 2019, Safiya Khalid, at the age of 23, defeated a fellow Democrat. This made her the first Somali-American Muslim woman to win a seat on the Lewiston City Council.

Nadia Mohamed, also 23, won a seat in Minnesota’s St. Louis Park City Council. On the same day, Democrat Abrar Omeish, 24, clinched one of three vacant seats on the Fairfax County School Board.

The post Meet the Youngest Muslim Holding Public Office in Skokie, IL appeared first on About Islam.

source https://aboutislam.net/muslim-issues/n-america/meet-the-youngest-muslim-holding-public-office-in-skokie-il/

Saudi Prepares Plan to Partially Resume Umrah

Here are some of the measures that would be put in place:

Setting up thermal cameras at all entrances of the mosque
Designing separate entry and exit points for visitors
Preventing individuals recording a high temperature from entering the mosque and referring them to specialists from the health ministry.
Enforcing social distancing measures at all times to prevent crowding
Making face masks mandatory for all visitors.

After more than 100 days of suspending Umrah, Saudi officials are currently developing a plan to partially resume the year-round minor pilgrimage.

The news, shared by Al-Arabiya, said Saudi Arabia’s Agency for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque in Makkah is currently developing a crowd control plan as it prepares for the partial opening of the Grand Mosque.

The plan is part of the Kingdom’s efforts to return to normal life while curbing the coronavirus outbreak.

According to reports by local media, the Grand Mosque and its courtyards will operate at 40 percent capacity.

In addition, visitors will obtain a permit before arriving at the Grand Mosque through the Tawakkalna app so authorities can limit the number of people entering the mosque.

The new measures include:

Setting up thermal cameras at all entrances of the mosque
Designing separate entry and exit points for visitors
Preventing individuals recording a high temperature from entering the mosque and referring them to specialists from the health ministry.
Enforcing social distancing measures at all times to prevent crowding
Face masks will be mandatory for all visitors.
Allocate the ground, first, and second floor of the holy mosque for those performing tawaf. Elderly people and people with special needs will use the second floor.
The central Haram area, closest to the Ka`bah, may be closed for visitors especially on Fridays

Curbing COVID-19

On Tuesday morning, Saudi Arabia reported a total of 186,436 COVID-19 cases, with 1,599 deaths.

Since the outbreak of the new coronavirus pandemic, Saudi Arabia has taken drastic measures to halt its spread.

Measures included the closure of the Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madinah, suspension of Umrah and enforcement of a lockdown.

Last month, worshippers returned to the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah and 90,000 mosques across Saudi Arabia after 70 days of shutdown.

A week ago, Saudi Arabia announced the conditions for observing Hajj this season, allowing around 1,000 domestic pilgrims.

The post Saudi Prepares Plan to Partially Resume Umrah appeared first on About Islam.

source https://aboutislam.net/muslim-issues/world/saudi-prepares-plan-to-partially-resume-umrah/

كيف تأتي الله بقلب سليم؟

القلب السليم جنة صاحبه في الدنيا والآخرة، فصاحب القلب السليم في الدنيا، يسلم أمره لله وينعم بالسلام في نفسه إذ يخلو قلبه من الأمراض المنغصة، مثل الغل والحقد والحسد، أو الشك والقلق.

لكن الدنيا وما فيها من ملذات ومتاعب تجعل مهمة المؤمن في الحفاظ على قلبه نقيا سليما، مهمة صعبة تحتاج أن يتعهد نفسه بالمراقبة والعناية.

إلا أن المدرك لقيمة الغاية لا تعجزه صعوبة المهمة ولا طول الطريق، فمن يع قوله تعالى: {يَوْمَ لَا يَنفَعُ مَالٌ وَلَا بَنُون ۝ إِلَّا مَنْ أَتَى اللَّهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ} (الشعراء 88، 89)، يعرف أن سلامة قلبه هي الغاية الأولى حتى يصلح عمله في الدنيا والآخرة.

يعرف العلماء القلب السليم فيذكر الطبري أن المراد من القلب السليم؛ سلامة القلب من الشك في توحيد الله، والبعث بعد الممات. أما الرازي فيرى أن المراد من القلب السليم؛ سلامة النفس عن الجهل والأخلاق الرذيلة، ويقرر ابن عاشور أن المراد من القلب السليم، الخلوص من عقائد الشرك، مما يرجع إلى معنى الزكاء النفسي، بينما يذكر الشيخ السعدي أن المراد من القلب السليم؛القلب الذي سلم من الشرك والشك ومحبة الشر والإصرار على البدعة والذنوب. وكل هذه الأقوال متقاربة ومتعاضدة يشرح بعضها بعضاً.

كما بين البعض صفات القلب السليم بأن لصاحبه ثلاث خصال؛ لا يعبد إلا الله، ولا يشتهي شهوة لا ترضي الله، ولا يعمل عملا يتناقض مع وحي الله.

كيف نحافظ على سلامة القلوب

هناك أمور تعين المؤمن أن يكون صاحب هذا القلب منها:

ذكر الله تعالى
الإحسان إلى الخلق أي قضاء الحوائج
كثرة الطاعات والاستعداد للدار الآخرة
كثرة الدعاء
ترك فضول المباحات: (الكلام، المخالطة والاستماع، الأكل، النوم، الضحك)

وللمؤمن أيضا أن يدرك أن ما بقلبه من خير فهو من الله وعليه أن يلزم الدعاء ولا يأمن على قلبه من أن يصيبه مرض أو يشوبه شائبة، إذ يقول رسول الله ﷺ : ” إنَّ قُلُوبَ بَنِي آدَمَ كُلَّهَا بيْنَ إِصْبَعَيْنِ مِن أَصَابِعِ الرَّحْمَنِ، كَقَلْبٍ وَاحِدٍ، يُصَرِّفُهُ حَيْثُ يَشَاءُ، ثُمَّ قالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عليه وَسَلَّمَ: اللَّهُمَّ مُصَرِّفَ القُلُوبِ صَرِّفْ قُلُوبَنَا علَى طَاعَتِكَ” صحيح مسلم.

Ornamental Arabic lantern oud perfume with black rosary

The post كيف تأتي الله بقلب سليم؟ appeared first on About Islam.

source https://aboutislam.net/ar/%d8%ae%d9%88%d8%a7%d8%b7%d8%b1/%d9%83%d9%8a%d9%81-%d8%aa%d8%a3%d8%aa%d9%8a-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%84%d9%87-%d8%a8%d9%82%d9%84%d8%a8-%d8%b3%d9%84%d9%8a%d9%85%d8%9f/

Forced to Marry Someone I Don’t Like… What to Do?

Are you being forced to marry someone you don’t like? Unfortunately, some families don’t care about their children marriage preferences.

But, Islam does not accept forced marriage. If either of the persons involved is unhappy with the set up, they hold the right of rejecting the proposal.

Nonetheless, forced marriages continue happening all over the world.

So, what to do if you are facing this situation?

Ustadha Taimiyyah Zubair offers advice when facing forced marriage.

Learn how to communicate and share your concerns if you are facing the predicament.

Cherish Your Wife the Prophet’s Way (10+ Hadiths)

Lady Aishah: The Prophet’s Beloved Wife

The post Forced to Marry Someone I Don’t Like… What to Do? appeared first on About Islam.

source https://aboutislam.net/shariah/shariah-and-humanity/shariah-and-life/forced-to-marry-someone-dont-like/

Mindful Shopping: Shop Like You Mean It!

Stuck in the house for months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, how did we shop? For some of us, shopping didn’t change much. We went online and ordered whatever we wanted or needed.

Some communities even stockpiled the basics not knowing how this would all pan out. A few economists expected the pandemic to trigger the deepest recession since WWII.

But as we waded through uncharted waters, our feeds started filling up with many rediscovering the pleasure in baking their own yeast breads, banana loaves, and learning how to knit. A welcome return to the simple life for our weary bodies. And with this slowed down pace many were re-looking at how they spent their money.

Consumers felt that they were able to live with very little, and with the opening of more stores deemed non essential, many were reluctant to spend just for the sake of spending.

With the impending economic crisis, it’s vital to stay emotionally centered and mindful-of what you plan to buy, what you can afford to spend, and a self awareness of what you really need.

Here are some tips on how to practice mindful shopping:

Plan your shopping

It might be a new season but do you really need another pair of black pants? Before heading off to the shops go through your closets and make a list of what you actually need.

Make a plan, research, write down the specific items, prices, and where you’re going to find each one of them. From which store? Will it be new? Are you going to buy it online? Are you going to the physical store? When you take the time to plan what you need, aware of what you have, you become more mindful about your shopping habits.

Take a breather

If you are doing most of your shopping online now, after adding items to your cart, step away from it for a while. When you get back, reassess once again if you really need all the items.

Being so easy to buy online makes it easy to impulse buy. Better yet don’t save your credit card details on websites. Because then you have to walk away and get your card details which tends to make you reevaluate your shopping.

This allows you to purchase with purpose.

Shop local

Besides reducing carbon emissions, supporting local means you stimulate your country’s economy.

Instead of dozens of inexpensive, “on-trend” items, invest your money in a few items of clothing that are well made, locally sourced and produced ethically, and will stay in style forever. Buying local is a win-win situation for everyone in your community.

Buy Second hand

Second hand clothing shops are treasure troves. You would be surprised at what people throw out. In fact you should donate your unwanted goods to thrift stores instead of throwing it out. That way our unwanted goods do not clog up our land refills.

If the thought of wearing a stranger’s clothes bothers you, then consider having a swap day with family and friends. Invite everyone over, pool together your items and have everyone go shopping.

Remove Temptations

Good planning will help evade temptations but you can avoid temptations by not downloading your favourite store’s apps. If you already have them, delete the apps. Unfollow the brands on all social media. Unsubscribe from their newsletters.

Do not watch “Shopping Hauls” on YouTube. Do whatever you need to do so that your brain is not tricked into thinking you need to buy a new item.

Also avoid malls and aimlessly wandering around in them. You will be tempted to buy what you don’t need even if you just planned on window shopping.

Weekly menu planning

If you are like me then you probably overspend more on food than clothes. Having a weekly menu planner can reduce your food consumption. Just putting food in a basket because you think you need it means that you end up with a dozen cans of baked beans in your pantry.

Work out all your meal times including snacks. Buy only what you can consume for that week. Anything else would be a waste.

The post Mindful Shopping: Shop Like You Mean It! appeared first on About Islam.

source https://aboutislam.net/family-life/self-development/shop-like-you-mean-it-with-mindfulness/

When Angels Keep Searching For You!

It’s an extremely easy act of worship that requires no exertion. While doing it, angels come towards you, searching for you, sitting with you, and surrounding you with their wings. It’s Dhikr, or remembrance of Allah.

4 Levels of Remembrance of God- What's Yours?

Allah Mentions You by Name

When you engage in dhikr, remembering Allah, He, in turn, mentions you in Himself; and when you remember Him in a gathering, He mentions you in a better gathering, in His elite angels.

So what is better than this?!

Rewarding Act of Worship

By remembering Him, you:

– Gain His forgiveness

– Keep yourself Pure in heart

– Build your palaces, palm trees, and farms in Paradise

– You constantly focus on Allah, and thus, block out distractions and sins.

Angels Search for You

How to Spare Time for Dhikr in Your Busy Schedule

There is a group of angels that their only task is to look for people who remember Allah. So every time you make dhikr, these angels keep searching for you, listen to you chanting the dhikr, and pray for you.

Amazing!

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

Allah, the Exalted, has teams of angels who go about on the roads seeking those who remember Allah. When they find some people remembering Allah they call to one another and say:

“Come to what you are looking for.”

And they surround them with their wings till the space between them and the lowest sky is fully covered.

Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, asks them (although He is best informed about every thing):

What are my slaves saying?

They say:

“They are glorifying Your Tasbih, Tahmid, Takbir, Tamjid, (i.e., they were declaring Your Perfectness, praising, remembering the Greatness and Majesty of Allah).”

He asks:

Have they seen Me?

They reply:

“No, indeed, they have not seen You.”

He asks:

How would they act if they were to see Me?

Thereupon they reply:

“If they were to see You, they would engage more earnestly in worshipping and glorifying You and would extol You more.”

He would say:

What do they beg of Me?

They say:

They beg You for Your Jannah.

Allah says:

Have they seen My Jannah?

They say:

“No, our Rubb.”

He says:

How would they act if they were to see My Jannah?

They reply:

“Were they to see it, they would more intensely eager for it.”

They (the angels) say:

“They seek Your Protection.”

He asks:

Against what do they seek My Protection?

They (the angels) say:

“Our Rubb, from the fire of Hell.”

(He, the Rubb) says:

Have they seen the fire of Hell?

They say:

“No. By Your Honor, they have not seen it.”

He says:

How would they act if they were to see My Fire?

They say:

“If they were to see it, they would more earnest in being away from it and fearing it. They beg of Your forgiveness.”

He says:

I call you to witness that I hereby grant pardon to them and confer upon them what they ask for; and grant them protection against what they seek protection from.

One of the angels says:

“Our Rubb, there is amongst them such and such slave who does not belong to the assembly of those who are participating in Your remembrance. He passed by them and sat down with them.”

He says:

I also grant him pardon because they are the people by virtue of whom their associates will not be unfortunate. (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

The post When Angels Keep Searching For You! appeared first on About Islam.

source https://aboutislam.net/spirituality/when-angels-keep-searching-for-you/

3 prácticos primeros pasos como nuevo musulmán

Se han escrito muchos artículos sobre lo que debe hacer un nuevo musulmán después de hacer la Shahada. Cuáles debería ser los primeros pasos después de Shahada es un tema sobre el que yo misma he escrito antes.

A veces, por los consejos que damos en estos artículos, puede parecer que los asuntos materiales no son importantes. Pero debes saber que sí lo son.

El Islam nos enseña el equilibrio, estar en este mundo y atender las necesidades mundanas, al mismo tiempo que pensamos en la próxima vida y atendemos las necesidades espirituales.

Somos seres creados en la dualidad. Tenemos una existencia física y una existencia espiritual. Cuando se ignoran las necesidades de una u otra, el resultado no es bueno.

Primeros pasos como nuevo musulmán

Con demasiada frecuencia, las necesidades mundanas de los nuevos musulmanes son ignoradas y consideradas menos importantes que las necesidades espirituales. Y el resultado de este tipo de enfoque es claro.

Los nuevos musulmanes a menudo se quejan de que ser musulmán es poco práctico o difícil. Si el Islam que has encontrado te parece imposible, excesivamente difícil o poco práctico, has de saber que este es un tipo de Islam imaginado que ignora las necesidades mundanas en favor de las necesidades espirituales.

Sin embargo, el Islam exige que busquemos el equilibrio y que se satisfagan todas las necesidades. Estas son algunas cosas prácticas en las que pensar después de tomar la Shahada y dar los primeros pasos como musulmán.

Conoce tus derechos como nuevo musulmán

Como nuevo musulmán, una de las primeras cosas que debes entender sobre tu creencia son tus derechos en el Islam. A menudo, las quejas de los nuevos musulmanes sobre el Islam no tienen nada que ver con el Islam, sino que manifiestan un fracaso por parte de otros musulmanes o incluso de la comunidad en general.

Es fundamental que entiendas, como nuevo musulmán, que Allah ha ordenado a la comunidad que te brinde apoyo. Si no se te ofrece, o si no se te ayuda cuando lo pides, entonces has saber que esto es un fracaso del hombre y no del Islam.

Los musulmanes tienen la obligación de ayudar a los nuevos musulmanes de varias maneras, incluidas, entre otras, la tutoría, el asesoramiento, la educación, una comunidad de apoyo e incluso el apoyo financiero, si fuera necesario. Puedes leer una declaración de los derechos de los nuevos musulmanes aquí que analiza esto con más detalle.

Es importante tener en cuenta que los nuevos musulmanes también deben conocer sus derechos en el matrimonio. En muchas ocasiones, los nuevos musulmanes buscan casarse poco después de la conversión. Y lamentablemente, saben poco sobre sus derechos y responsabilidades en el matrimonio.

Encuentra amigos y comunidad

¿Te parece el Corán confuso? A mi me pasaba igual

Muchos nuevos musulmanes se enfrentan a la soledad después de la Shahada. Incluso aquellos que son introvertidos y disfrutan de estar solos la mayor parte del tiempo sienten un aislamiento extremo después de convertirse al Islam. Los amigos que has tenido toda tu vida pueden distanciarse de ti. La familia puede rechazarte. Y muchas personas en tu vida te mirarán de manera diferente o simplemente desafiarán todo lo que haces como musulmán.

Esta soledad no es algo que deba minimizarse. El ser humano es un ser social. Necesita de otras personas para hablar, buscar consejo, sincerarnos, etc. Necesitamos de comunidad y cuando todos los que te rodean y en los que has confiado se van, se distancian o se quedan solo para reprocharte por tu elección de creencia, es devastador.

Pero como nuevo musulmán, tiene una gran comunidad hacia la que dirigirte, buscar la amistad, tomar como hermanos y hermanas. A veces, esta comunidad no es perfecta en el apoyo a los nuevos musulmanes, pero aún así hay muchos musulmanes que están más que dispuestos a ser el oído y el hombro que necesitas para apoyarte.

Si te encuentras con musulmanes que no responden o simpatizan con tu lucha, mantenlos en tu vida y Dua, pero debes saber que puede seguir buscando a otros musulmanes que sean más empáticos con tu situación.

Este es un momento de muchos nuevos comienzos en tu vida. No rehuyas acercarte a tus compañeros musulmanes. Y hoy en día, esto ni siquiera tiene que ser en persona en la mezquita local. Puedes encontrar mucho apoyo de otros musulmanes e incluso de otros conversos en línea. Puede leer más consejos para superar el aislamiento como nuevo musulmán aquí.

Encuentra un maestro (o varios)

Cómo calmar la ansiedad: no te preocupes por futuro hasta que llegue

No muchas personas se hacen musulmanas solo para decir que son musulmanas. La gente va al Islam para vivir el Islam. Y esto requiere aprendizaje. A medida que comiences a aprender más y más sobre tu creencia, buscarás otros musulmanes a tu alrededor para aprender.

Pero ten cuidado con tomar todo lo que un musulmán dice sobre el Islam como la verdad absoluta. Esto puede parecer raro al principio, ya que podría creerse que alguien que ha sido criado como musulmán debe saber mucho sobre su religión y puede enseñarte mucho. Pero este no siempre es el caso.

A veces lo que los musulmanes normales saben sobre el Islam no es en realidad el Islam. Todo se vuelve muy confuso muy rápidamente. Pero hay muchos eruditos de los que puedes aprender conocimiento auténtico que no es confuso o contradictorio, ni algo parcial o independiente.

Lo que tú, como nuevo musulmán, debes hacer es encontrar un maestro que hable tu idioma con fluidez, que viva y entienda la cultura en la que vives (la cultura tiene su lugar en el Islam), que tenga un alto grado de aprendizaje y que toma tanto el Corán como la tradición profética (Sunnah) en cuenta. Y aprender de esa persona o personas.

Afortunadamente, YouTube tiene muchos recursos como este. Algunos eruditos que son maestros efectivos son Yasir Qadhi, Suhaib Webb, Shaykha Reima Yosif, Nouman Ali Khan, Dra. Ingrid Mattson, Tariq Ramadan, Omar Suleiman, Anse Tamara Gray, Dr. Shabir Ally y muchos, muchos más. Aquí puedes encontrar algunos recursos más de aprendizaje para los nuevos musulmanes.

Sobre todo, no importa lo que pase, confía en Dios. Da esos primeros pasos hacia Él y sigue adelante. Los primeros pasos son siempre inestables. Todo se volverá más fácil. Y crecerás y cambiarás de maneras asombrosas.

Este es un artículo del archivo de aboutislam.net, puedes leer la versión original en inglés aquí.

The post 3 prácticos primeros pasos como nuevo musulmán appeared first on About Islam.

source https://aboutislam.net/es/vivir-el-islam-como-nuevo-musulman/3-practicos-primeros-pasos-como-nuevo-musulman/

تلاوة سورة يونس للقارئ وديع اليمني

هي السورة العاشرة في القرآن الكريم، وعدد آياتها 109 آية ، وهي سورة مكية ما عدا الآيات 40، 94:96 فمدنيات، وموضعها في الجزء الحادي عشرمن كتاب الله.

سميت بسورة يونس لورود قصة نبي الله يونس فيها، وهو نبي من أنبياء الله الذين وردت قصتهم في التوراة والإنجيل والقرآن، وعاش في فلسطين في القرن الثامن قبل الميلاد.

انفردت بذكر خصوصية لقوم يونس، وهي أنهم آمنوا بعد أن توعدهم رسولهم بنزول العذاب، فعفا الله عنهم لما آمنوا. وذلك في قوله تعالى: {فَلَوْلَا كَانَتْ قَرْيَةٌ آمَنَتْ فَنَفَعَهَا إِيمَانُهَا إِلَّا قَوْمَ يُونُسَ لَمَّا آمَنُوا كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُمْ عَذَابَ الْخِزْيِ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَمَتَّعْنَاهُمْ إِلَىٰ حِينٍ} (يونس:98). وتلك الخصوصية كرامة لـ يونس عليه السلام.

من أحوال الصالحين مع السورة

روى ابن أبي الدنيا عن أبي مودود، قال: بلغنا أن عمر بن عبد العزيز قرأ ذات يوم:{وَمَا تَكُونُ فِي شَأْنٍ وَمَا تَتْلُو مِنْهُ مِن قُرْآنٍ وَلَا تَعْمَلُونَ مِنْ عَمَلٍ إِلَّا كُنَّا عَلَيْكُمْ شُهُودًا إِذْ تُفِيضُونَ فِيهِ ۚ وَمَا يَعْزُبُ عَن رَّبِّكَ مِن مِّثْقَالِ ذَرَّةٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي السَّمَاءِ وَلَا أَصْغَرَ مِن ذَٰلِكَ وَلَا أَكْبَرَ إِلَّا فِي كِتَابٍ مُّبِين} (يونس:61)، فبكى بكاء شديداً، حتى سمعه أهل الدار، فجاءت فاطمة فجلست تبكي لبكائه، وبكى أهل الدار لبكائها، فجاء عبد الملك، فدخل عليهم وهم على تلك الحال يبكون، فقال: يا أبت ما يبكيك؟ قال: خير يا بني، ودَّ أبوك أنه لم يعرف الدنيا، ولم تعرفه، والله يا بني! لقد خشيت أن أهلك، والله يا بني لقد خشيت أن أكون من أهل النار.

ومما أثر عن نبي الله يونس قوله “لا إله إلا أنت سبحانك إني كنت من الظالمين”، التي وصى النبي ﷺ في قوله “‏ دَعْوَةُ ذِي النُّونِ إِذْ دَعَا وَهُوَ فِي بَطْنِ الْحُوتِ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنْتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ ‏.‏ فَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يَدْعُ بِهَا رَجُلٌ مُسْلِمٌ فِي شَيْءٍ قَطُّ إِلاَّ اسْتَجَابَ اللَّهُ لَهُ ‏”‏ رواه الترمذي.

The post تلاوة سورة يونس للقارئ وديع اليمني appeared first on About Islam.

source https://aboutislam.net/ar/quran-recitations/%d8%aa%d9%84%d8%a7%d9%88%d8%a9-%d8%b3%d9%88%d8%b1%d8%a9-%d9%8a%d9%88%d9%86%d8%b3-%d9%84%d9%84%d9%82%d8%a7%d8%b1%d8%a6-%d9%88%d8%af%d9%8a%d8%b9-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%8a%d9%85%d9%86%d9%8a/

Why Do Prisoners Accept Islam in US Prisons?

Islam still tops the list as the fastest growing religion in the world. According to a report by CNN, approximately 30,000 people convert to Islam per year in the US. Many inmates in prisons tends to lean towards Islam because of the brotherhood shown in Islam.

According to a 2011 study, Islam is the fastest growing and highest retaining religion in US prisons. One of the reasons so many prisoners accept Islam is because they learn that they will be forgiven in Islam when the rest of the world wouldn’t want to show any forgiveness.

Islam will help inmates when they are in prison but also when they are out. Islam offers enpowerment. Islam empowers the prisoner with knowledge and literacy. Islam also gives them a second chance and provides hope for the future.

The post Why Do Prisoners Accept Islam in US Prisons? appeared first on About Islam.

source https://aboutislam.net/multimedia/videos/why-do-prisoners-accept-islam-in-us-prisons/

Dua against Illness

Now that our lockdown is easing, we should recite this dua when we are out to protect us.

In the name of Allah Who with His name nothing on earth or in the heavens can cause any harm

Bismillah-illathee laa yaDuruu ma’asmihee shay’un fil arDi wa la fisamaa’ wa huwas samee un ‘aleem

The post Dua against Illness appeared first on About Islam.

source https://aboutislam.net/multimedia/videos/dua-against-illness/

5 Ways to Feel Less Burdened with Worship

We live in a world that expects us to always give our best. We have to work as much as possible. And we have to do it as good as possible. We spend our energy on all this worldly work.

When we are done with our worldly tasks, we often feel tired. We feel exhausted. And sometimes we feel our worship as a burden. Even the bare minimum feels heavy. And we try to finish it as quick as possible. How can we change that?

Worship as an Energizer

We have to transform our worship into an energizer.

How?

The main issue is that we judge our worship with the same parameters as our worldly tasks.

Something that needs to be done. However, at the same time we don’t apply the same vigor for reaching excellence.

Why?

Because we don’t always see the immediate results of our worship. So firstly, it is necessary to change our paradigm about worship.

Prayer needs to be done. Yes. But, what does Allah say about prayer? It is first and foremost for ourselves. Prayer is good for us (Quran 29: 45; Quran 11: 114).

The five daily prayers are there to re-connect us with our true purpose. To be Allah’s servants. To worship Him (Quran 51: 56).

Our five daily prayers can energize us. They help us to gain clarity. They give us peace and contentment in this busy world (Quran 13: 28).

If we see prayer like that, we will rush towards it. We will wait for the next one. Standing in front of our Lord, communicating with Him will be our source of strength.

A Wonderful Transformation

We have become accustomed to always think. If we don’t think, we entertain ourselves. There is no down-time, no quiet time. Even during our worship, our thoughts run and run. We go through the movements without gaining the spiritual benefits of a God-focused mind and heart.

Again, let’s see worship as a refuge. A refuge from our own busyness. As a start, we can try to feel our heart’s connection to God during prostration. Try to stay in prostration as long as it takes to feel connected to Allah. This will be the start of a wonderful transformation. From seeing prayer as just an obligation to feeling prayer as our personal need.

Other Forms of Worship

Seeing worship as a form of personal need, not as a burdensome obligation should not prevent us from engaging in this world. We have our worldly obligations. Other people, our children, spouses, parents have rights over us. And to fulfill these rights and obligations is just as important. Plus it is also a form of worship.

Here the right intention is the key. Plus sincerity. We need to understand our priorities. And try to feel our connection to our Lord in every task we do.

One method to do so is to make the intention to remember Allah throughout the day in the morning. And renew your intention whenever you feel that you need to strengthen your connection to Him.

Know Your Limits

When it comes to worship, it is also necessary to know our limits. We don’t have to do everything on the list. If it is easy for you to fast, then you can keep several Sunnah fasts throughout the month or year.

However, if fasting is really difficult for you, maybe you can find another form of worship that brings you closer to Allah. Maybe you can give extra charity. Or it is easy for you to wake up at night for Tahajjud prayer. Maybe you can read more praises on our beloved Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bestow eternal peace and blessings on him).

Know yourself. Know what you can do to become more beloved to our merciful Lord. You don’t have to overburden yourself with those Sunnah acts of worship that bring difficulty to you.

Be Your Own Comparison

To avoid getting burdened with worship, it is necessary that we don’t always compare ourselves with others. We should know our own strengths and weaknesses. Other people have other strengths and weaknesses.

Try to improve yourself regularly. But be kind to yourself. Know yourself. Improve your Quran reading. If you currently read one page a day, try to increase to two pages a day. Then try to keep reading two pages until it becomes part of yourself. Only then you can increase again.

Allah loves those acts that are regular, even if they are few. Avoid to overburden yourself because later this can cause you to drop drastically in your worship.

May Allah give us guidance and wisdom of how to become more beloved to Him. May He enable us to feel connected to Him during our worship and may He give us sincerity and perseverance in our worship.

Ameen.

(From Discovering Islam’s archive.)

The post 5 Ways to Feel Less Burdened with Worship appeared first on About Islam.

source https://aboutislam.net/spirituality/how-to-not-get-burdened-with-worship/

The Reality of Being a Divorced Muslim Woman

It’s 3:00 am and my heart is pounding out of my chest. My sweaty palms begin to perspire rapidly and my body stiffens under my blue patterned blankets.

I can feel my breathing pattern increase, as I face the reality of my current circumstance. I am thirty-six and divorced.

Divorce is an extremely painful experience, as divorce is the death of a dream. The dream of a loving, intact family that is every woman’s deepest longing.

How did I get here?

I was raised by two convert Muslim parents in Central New Jersey and I dreamed about my wedding day since I was a little girl.

I thought marriage would be easy, as I saw this fairy tale continuously played out across my television screen and I watched marital couples navigate their realm with ease as a child.

My parents were a perfect example of what I perceived as a blissful union. They took us on family vacations and lavished us with happy memories during my childhood. In all honesty, marriage – to me seemed easy and natural.

When my wedding day arrived, I knew this meant my new reality would begin. I would be a devout Muslim wife. I would follow every guideline in Islam to ensure my success.

“That is the command of Allah, which He has sent down to you; and whoever fears Allah – He will remove for him his misdeeds and make great for him his reward.” (Holy Quran, Ch. 65, verse 5)

When Reality Hits..

It was a gloomy Sunday morning when the word “talaq” was officially pronounced by my husband. This happened after years of trying to identify the root cause of countless disagreements and disharmony.

The dissolution of the marriage wasn’t a complete shock, but the reality of navigating this unfamiliar realm was daunting.

For Muslim women, figuring out how to live a post-divorce life can be very challenging. Divorced women in the Muslim community are often isolated and stigmatized as a result of their change in marital status.

According to the American Psychological Association, about half of the marriages in the US end in divorce. Second marriages have higher rates.

What Does Islam Recommend?

Overall, it is a fundamental belief held by Muslims that “the most hated permissible act,” stemming from the hadith:

It was narrated from ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar that Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him said: ‘The most hated of permissible things to Allah is divorce.’

However, it is essential to mention that during the time of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) divorce, remarriage, and marrying divorcees and widows was a regular part of Islamic culture and widely accepted as a normal part of life.

My New Reality Post Divorce

How to Overcome the Social Stigma of Divorce

As a Muslim woman and mother, I face the day-to-day challenges of navigating my new reality without my spouse. At times, it feels surreal to go home alone and not have a partner to navigate life with.

I struggle with making decisions for my children and running an entire household alone. I struggle with the emotional pain and loss of someone I deeply loved.

The reality of navigating life post-divorce for Muslim women can be isolating, as we experience stigma and shifts in our relationships with other married friends. We now seek a new village and the feeling of loss is magnified and intensified, as each meaningful relationship begins to shift.

Divorce is the ultimate lifestyle change, as you no longer think or feel the same about anything. We struggle with continuing to raise our children, while navigating our intense pain and heartbreak.

Ultimately, divorce is permissible and Allah offers a solution for every pain and heartbreak. During this trial and test, we are able to identify tools to reconnect to Allah (SWT).

The promise of paradise and forgiveness for a Muslim’s patience during times of trial is our ultimate gift, as Allah’s says in the Qur’an;

“Peace be upon you for what you patiently endured. And excellent is the final home.” (13:24)

The post The Reality of Being a Divorced Muslim Woman appeared first on About Islam.

source https://aboutislam.net/muslim-issues/n-america/the-reality-of-being-a-divorced-muslim-woman/

Frequently Asked Questions & Answer – For Parents of Teens

Young people approach adolescence in different ways. Some tend to be aggressive, while others get withdrawn. While some whine and argue, others resort to being more mischievous or risk-taking.

No matter how they react, all adolescents crave independence, given that tat this age, they form their own separate identities and personalities.

Below are some excellent counseling answers from our Parenting Counselors, in response to questions raised by Muslim parents.

If you still have questions, please submit them to our Ask About Parenting section.