Tears..drop,drop, Remebrance of Allah , Please Remove the Dryness Off My Heart

A feeling so great, its been to long, its the feeling of being connected, close and attach to the Source of Peace, the beautiful feeling you get when you sincerely remember Allah.....

Its been a while,let the tears pour like the rain storm.... drop,drop, moisturizing the dryness of my heart...oh Allah allow the remeberance of Allah to remove the dryness off my heart..

Ramadan where you at? I miss you and your effect on me, you increased my attachment to my Lord, nothing better then that....

As you await for the taraweeh vacation prepare your heart for the journey thats coming soon inshAllah. Just like the traveller who prepares themselves for a trip overseas multiple months before, prepare for the upcoming journey......the upcoming spiritual journey to Allah, preparation starts now.

A Meeting With Allah | Ibn al-Qayyim | HD
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgEGDkiAT80&feature=share

Re Post:
http://hudawritess.blogspot.com/2012_07_01_archive.html

Monday, July 30, 2012

The Vacation Called Taraweeh: Rest

An Exclusive Vacation Called Taraweeh:

When: Ramadan
Location: Any Masjid
Destination: Allah
Cost:Priceless
Goal: Rest & Relax
Passport: A heart that remembers Allah

NASPA Region 2 Conference

 as I mentioned in an earlier post, I will be presenting in the upcoming NASPA ReGion 2 NYC Conference.

http://www.naspa.org/regions/regionii/regconference2013.cfm

Program Title:

 Representing a Diverse Student Body: The Need for Diverse Professionals

Program Abstract:

Colleges and Universities such as Rutgers University, New Jersey City University, City University of New York, and many other colleges in the metropolitan area present themselves as the most diverse colleges in the nation, but the question I pose is: Is the diversity of the student population reflected and represented in the staff and faculty members (specifically administration) of these institutions? As our student population becomes more diverse than ever, I believe the administration also needs to reflect this diversity.

 Upon graduating from New Jersey City University, which is considered a highly diverse school I realized the importance of diversity, and what diversity is all about. Colleges do not use the term or description “Diverse Environment” simply for marketing reasons, but rather they are encouraging students to acknowledge and realize how the real world is: a place filled with people of different ideas, values, cultural and religious backgrounds which require respect towards one another. Diversity is not just a matter of having a bunch of people of different ethnic and religious backgrounds in the same place at the same time, but rather it is when you can get those people to respectfully exchange ideas and get along with one another. Diversity helps us build bridges and promotes the feeling of community. Although it is great when colleges tell you about their diverse student population, I think it is time for colleges to also acknowledge and create a diverse staff also.

While I was a Student Ambassador at a diversified community college I realized the importance of having an administration of different cultural and religious backgrounds. The diverse staff can better serve the diverse student population and their needs. I believe this lack of diversity in the field of higher education presents a challenge to students who are looking for role models they can relate to, seek advice from , or seek help to overcome different challenges they face as an underrepresented group. Among my goals is to serve as a role model for first generation students in the United States who seem to be underrepresented in the field of Higher Education Administration. We need to diversify the professional ranks of higher education.

Goals of Presentation & Learning Outcomes:

The goals and learning outcomes of the presentation is to present the audience the growing need and importance of having a diverse administration in the Higher Education field

•To acknowledge the importance of having a diverse crew of staff members, and administrators at diverse colleges.
•To encourage Higher Education Administrators to learn how to serve students of diverse backgrounds, especially immigrant students and first generation students who have major challenges upon going to college.

Relationship of the program to the Conference Theme – Bridging Communities, Transforming Lives:

 The theme of the conference is Bridging Communities, Transforming Lives. Through this presentation there is an encouragement of diversifying the professional ranks of higher education administration. When colleges have academic, admissions, or financial aid counselors, or vice presidents, or professors of a diverse background, students may find it easier to relate to them and this can bridge our college communities. For an example, if you have a foreign exchange student from Germany, the student would love to have a counselor who speaks their language. Another example, if a college has a new freshmen first generation student, the student would want to speak to someone with a similar background. Another example, if an immigrant student is trying to enroll in ESL courses, and English is their second language, it would help if there was an admissions counselor who spoke their language. Through the diverse staff, you are transforming the lives of many students, not just some students. You are trying to serve all the students that are represented at your college.

NASPA Reviewer Comments:

1. Relevance to Conference Theme
• The proposal addresses the them of Building Communities by identifying the need for a diverse staff with whom varying identities can connect.
• Good tie in to the conference theme. Interesting topic to examine.
2. Proposal Content
• I've never seen a program like this before. Usually, these programs look at students and not staff.
3. Evidence of Solid Foundation for Proposal Content
• The proposal does not demonstrate a grounding in theory or research, nor does it provide a cogent model or practice for achieving diversity.
• I would include more research strengthen the argument. It seems like a lot of personal thoughts over research based evidence.
4. Adherence to Proposal Submission Guidelines
• While the proposal articulates a need for a diverse staff it does not demonstrate how this session will achieve more than a call for such a need.  
5. Engaging Program Format
• Indicates a lecture and a panel discussion.
• I feel that this presentation will spark great dialouge on the topic of diverse staffing to help support diverse students.
6. General Comments Regarding the Proposal
• It is challenging to see how this will serve as a learning opportunity for participants with no particular stated outcomes other than an encouragement of a diverse staff.
• Seems like a great presentation and could spark good debate and dialouge amongst atendees.

Khadijah:She Was Prophet Muhammads Boss, Wife, Um Al Mumin, Successful!

Khadijah: the Prophets boss, the Prophets wife, Um Al Mumin,

talk about successful.

 

 

I came across one chapter within the ""In The Footsteps of the Prophet: Lessons From the Life of Muhammad" book  titled,"The "Truthful" and Marriage" and it is about Khadijah, whom I want to refer to as Muhammads BOSS, yes, and he had no problem with that, he even married her because she intitated the marriage!.....it was one of the most romantic stories of our deen.

 

Khadijah made me re evaluate the status of women in Islam, and how everything we are discouraged to do such as be successful, and initiate men for marriage is exactly what she did.......

 

This chapter made me realize that our cultural teachings

go against two things the Boss of  Prophet Muhammad,  the Prophets wife,

Um Al Mumin was all about :

 

1. In our culture, they try to make it seem like Islam does not encourage women to become educated, become doctors, business women, and etc, but how we can ignore one of the most  influential women in the life of Prophet Muhammad?

 

Prophet Muhammads 1st wife: Khadjah, she was his boss and then she became his wife <3

 

"One of the wealthies traders in Mecca was a woman called Khadjah bint Khuwaylid" (Ramadan 23).

 

2. Women can propose to a man for marriage

Prophet Muhammads boss approached him for marriage.....and he said yes!!

 

Now how you going to tell me that women cant be successful, cant work, cant initiate marriage, but Um Al Mumin did it all.........

 

"Khadjahd then told one of her firneds, Nufaysh, to approach Muhammad and see weather he would be interested in marraige" (Ramdan 23).

Let us follow the true role model of Islam: Khadijah

 

Dont let anyone convince you that being a successful business women, doctor, teacher, dean, is not approitate for a Muslimah...

 

On that note, I will be a presenter at the NASPA Region 2 Conference in NYC!! I will speak on the following title: Representing a Diverse Student Body: The Need for Diverse Professionals

 (NASPA is a huge association for people interested in Higher Education Administration)

 

InshAllah!

 

At first I was considering not to include the fact that I am hijabi in my "background section" because I thought it would effect my chances of presenting, but humdAllah I got accepted!! 

Dont let your Muslim idenitiy stop you from being successful,

just think about Khadjiah when anyone tries to discouarge you!!!!!!!

Heres the part where I didnt really want to mention but I did alhumdAllah!

 

"She realized there were lots of people of Arab descent, and a Muslim background who needed help applying, but found it difficult due to multiple reasons such as the language barrier as English was their second language. She served as a role model for these people as she comforted them and translated for them in Arabic.   They lacked confidence approaching non-Arabs, but they came to Huda with big smiles as they were confident she would be able to understand them due to their similar backgrounds. Huda realized the need for more women like her in the field of Higher Education Administration.     Huda hopes to become the first Muslim, and Arab women Dean to serve in a Higher Education Institution in the New York, or New Jersey area."

 

 

"So remember Me; I will remember you" Quran 2:152

Remembering Allah with your heart:

oh how I wish I can fully achieve this especially in salat....

On Tuesday I was at my new school and while I was working I realized it was Asr time. Although I make my salat across the street at the salat room, I knew it would be easier to just tell my boss that I needed a quiet place for 5 minutes.

Right when I thought of asr prayer, literally like 2 minutes later a Muslim coworker  came to me and told me that there was an empty office to make salat in. I told him subhanAllah I was JUST thinking about where I was going to make salat! He showed me the office space and he even placed a salat rug.

At that moment I was reminded of the beautiful ayah

 

" So remember Me and I will remember you"

Surat Al Baqarah Ayah 152

You probably read this ayah multiple times, but how many times did you actually contemplate upon it or apply it to events that happen in your life. I dare you to try this....this is how you build your faith in Allah!

On Wednesday the topic of the Purification of the Soul lecture was on the remeberance of Allah, here is what Sheikh Al Hayek taught us :

"Remembrance of Allah" Dhikr" and how this is the best means for the process of "tazikyah: Purification of the soul.

The Arabic word for person is "insan" which has the Arabic root word forget, and the plural form of this word is "nas" people which also has the Arabic word forget in it.

The remembrance of Allah is not just an obligation

If we were really sound and at peace we should and could not forget Allah

We forget Allah even though He is everywhere you go:

"and He is with you wherever you are"
Surat Al Hadid Aya 4

Remembrance of Allah is essentential to your life, it is a state of the mind and the heart

عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى رضي الله عنه قَالَ: قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلي الله عليه وآله وسلم: مَثَلُ الَّذِي يَذْكُرُ رَبَّهُ وَالَّذِي لَا يَذْكُرُ رَبَّهُ مَثَلُ الْحَيِّ وَالْمَيِّتِ
The Holy Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم) said,

“He who remembers his Lord and he who

does not are like the living and the dead.”

The essence of remembrance is to be aware and conscious of Allah.

"And be not like those who forgot Allah ,  so He made them forget themselves"
Surat Al Hashr ayah 19

The state of remembrance is an inner state of the heart.

"Those who believe and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah, Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest"
Surat Ar Rad Ayah 28

Look at the following ayah, although Allah is telling us that the result of the prayer is to prevent you from doing bad, there is  a more important result which is the remembrance of Allah

"Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing, and the remembrance of Allah is greater. And Allah knows that which you do"

Surat Al Ankabut Ayah 45

One of the great women of Islam once said:

"Much of our istfighr needs istifghar"

We pronounce istfighar but our hearts are not sincere

We ended this class with my story and the ayah and I want to end this post with that ayah

" So remember Me and I will remember you"
These are the words of Allah!
2:152

AlMaghrib, Notes, Surat Noor Tafsir, Light Upon Light

 

This weekend I took the AlMaghrib class on Tafsir Surat Noor at Qableet Tayybah.

 

So right when I sat in my seat, I realized that the same aya I wrote about in December was on the board...I was about to cry from excitement knowing that I would finally get a better understanding of this ayah

 

Back in December I wrote the following post titled "Light upon Light" which is about one of my favorite ayas mentioned in Surat Noor (and a reason why I took the class!). Here is that post:  http://hudawritess.blogspot.com/2012/12/light-upon-light-allahs-light-amazing.html

 

Although this class is a tafsir of all the ayahs in this Surah, in this post I want to focus on the ayah about Light Upon Light.  Maybe I will create other posts with other ayahs I learned about as it helps me remember what I learned.
 

Upon writting this post I had radioquraan.com playing and they play random surahs just like a radio...and guess what the ayahs were about? Allahs light on the Day of Judgement...<3<3. Surat Hadid to be excact. Its about the hypocrites on the Day of Judgement begging for the believers light.....!  I actually really learned these ayahs through another Almaghrib class when they showed us the ayas///it seriously makes you cry heres that video in case you  wana hear and read these ayahs :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CC6eTT8rcYg

Dont be that person on the Day of Judgement who was not able to attain Allahs Light...

If you have this light of gudiance which Allah only places upon whom He wills, thentake care of it and work on increasing it....

What is Allahs Light as described in the Quran?

Here you go...and sorry if its complicated, the sheikh did not spend alot of time on these ayahs but I hope you learn something!!


 

 

Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The example of His light is like a niche within which is a lamp, the lamp is within glass, the glass as if it were a pearly [white] star lit from [the oil of] a blessed olive tree, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil would almost glow even if untouched by fire. Light upon light. Allah guides to His light whom He wills. And Allah presents examples for the people, and Allah is Knowing of all things.

So heres the basics before you go to the aya descriptions:
1. These ayahs are a parable to Allahs Light of Guidance
2. "The niche" = representsheart of the beleiver
3. "The lamp"=represents the Quran, ayat, and faith that is in the heart
4. "The oil"= represents the fitrah to beleive in Allah
5.  All of these things combined make the light at its best....causing all to shine, this light is so bright just like the "brilliant star".
 

 

The Surah is named after this ayah (Surat Noor)

 

 

Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth:
 Allah guides everything in the heavens and the earth. He is in charge of all of the earth and heavens.

 

The parable of His light is as a niche: the example of His light, His Light is like: the niche, this is kind of like a sculpture in the wall (google images,niche wall)which helps the light reflect.

The niche represents the heart of the believer <3

 

and within it a lamp, the lamp is in glass, the glass as it were
a brilliant star:

the lamp with the glass helps spread the light even more, this lamp represents the ayat of Allah.

This lamp is very shiny just like the bright stars.. The lamp, the glass, the stars, all give extra light.

 

lit from a blessed tree, an olive, neither of the east or the west, whose oil would almost glow forth, though no fire touched it:

this is a olive tree, and it is neither of the east or west because the sun is always shining upon this tree causing its oil to glow.The oil is so pure it will shine and glow without light.  The glass itself is shinning also.
 

The oil is the fitrah of the Muslim, the fitrah is to believe in Allah.
 

You gain this extra light as believer through good deeds, obedience to Allah.

 

The example of the believers life is like the niche,
 everything combined makes the light bright at its best.

 

Light upon light!!:

when the two lights (the light of the oil, and the light of the fire) are combined they give light and neither of them can give light without the other.

 

The light is giving light, the lamp is giving light, the oil is giving light everything is giving  light!

 

Similarly the light of the Quran and the light of faith give light when they are combined, and neither can do so without the other...!!! subhanAllah!!

 
Allah guides to His light whom He wills. And Allah presents examples for the people, and Allah is Knowing of all things:

Allah gives this Light of guidance to whom He wants. He gives use examples (Such as the light of the lamp,niche, glass,oil)
 

Other commentary from online sources:  

the lamp is in a glass, means, this light is shining in a clear glass.

Ubayy bin Ka`b and others said,

"This is the likeness of the heart of the believer.''

Ubayy bin Ka`b said,

"The lamp is the light, and this refers to the Qur'an and the faith that is in his heart.''

 

"the parable of the light in the heart of the believer is as a niche. So the heart of the believer and what he is naturally inclined to of guidance and what he learns of the Qur'an" : Ibn Abs

 

The parable of His Light,

There are two views concerning the meaning of the pronoun (His).

The first is that it refers to Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, meaning that the parable of His guidance in the heart of the believer is كَمِشْكَاةٍ (as a niche).

This was the view of Ibn Abbas.

The second view is that the pronoun refers to the believer, which is indicated by the context of the words and implies that the parable of the light in the heart of the believer is as a niche. So the heart of the believer and his fitrah is towards the oguidance and what he learns of the Qur'an