مجلة المسلمات الجميالت الملتزمات

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

May the peace & mercy of Allah Subhana Wa Ta‘ala be on you.

Welcome to the 20th issue of MBM: The Iman (Faith) Issue. I hope this finds you in the best of health and certainly the best of Iman, inshaAllah.

The Prophet (sallallahu ‗alayhi wa sallam) said, ―I wish I could see my brothers. The Companions said,

―aren‘t we your brothers O Prophet of Allah?‖ He replied, ―No, you are my Companions. My brothers are those who come after me and believe in me without seeing me.‖

SubhanAllah, what a beautiful hadith. What our beloved Rasool is talking about here is our Iman (faith). Iman is an integral part of being Muslim. Islam has nothing to do with blind faith, but everything to do with the

faith of the unseen. At the same time, Allah subhana‘wa ta3la has not left us without visual proof. On the contrary, He has left us with many proofs, all by which He swears on in the Quran. He knows we are visual

creatures and He accommodates us in that way.

As Muslims, we believe that the only unforgivable sin in Islam is Shikr, or to associate partners with Allah

subhana‘wa ta3la. Essentially, this is the exact opposite of having Iman. It may seem like common sense but if we really reflect on this, it brings essence to our beliefs.

In this issue, Nur Soliman, MBM‘s assistant editor, explores the important topic of Yaqin or certainty. Nadia Ali

writes a short but very sweet 5 tips on strengthening our Iman. Her wonderful daughter Raisah‘s photography is

represented on this month‘s cover. Tayyaba Syed brings us back to reflection on our childhood, which is likely to bring us back to our core innocence. Mariam Al-Kalby writes a wonderfully written and witty short story that is

certain to touch your heart and fill it with Iman. Fatima A. Khan shares her always valuable advice on marriage. Through a well written poem, Yusuf Omar challenges our faith by sharing the reality of the brutal xenophobic

attacks that took place in South Africa in 2008. Halal Culinary Artist and Expert, Yvonne Maffei graces us as

always with her 5-minute frittata recipe as a means for us to whip up an easy to make, low-fat and protein-packed breakfast. What we put in our bodies certainly impacts our moods and even our faith. Khadijah

EGKF shows our French readers how to rekindle their faith, in her piece titled ―Ravivons Note Foi‖. Amani Zidan brings us back to basics with Dhikr or Remembrance (where faith begins). Most importantly, Recess Kids ensures

that there is something in here for the kids. Sit back and enjoy the issue that these wonderful people have made

possible for you. Please keep us in your dua, inshaAllah. JazakAllah khair (May Allah reward you for good).

Finally, as always, your comments, criticism, and suggestions as a reader are highly appreciated and encouraged. By the will of Allah SWT, let us all engage in a deep collective search for truth, guided by the

primary sources of Islam: the Qur‘an and Sunnah. As always, JazakAllah khair for being an MBMuslima reader—this magazine would be nothing without you.

www.mbmuslima.com

Sister Yasmin Essa

The essence of true belief is in yaqin, certainty or conviction. Unwavering faith, from the understanding heart, is what infuses real life into the husk of any belief system, giving it a meaningfulness that goes beyond its outer structure, and enriches that outer structure with light and iman. So it is with yaqin. The 12th century Islamic scholar al-Jilani (Hanbali preacher and leader of the Qadiri Sufi order), describes a similar state, or a companion of yaqin, as “absolute trust experienced by the inner feeling [tawakkul al-qalb], after the servant [of the Lord] has come to realize, within his inner feeling, that the power to decide is the prerogative of Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He).” What that basically reaffirms is the place of iman and yaqin in the heart and how it illuminates one‟s entire din by trusting in Allah. Yaqin is therefore a state of being, in the heart, and gives the mu’min and mu’mina a strong sense of security and tranquility, and belief that all things good or bad are from Allah (SWT) and this great trust in Allah (SWT) fills our life with meaningful direction. This state of unwavering conviction comes with knowing that Allah (SWT) is truly All-Benevolent, All-Knowing, All-Good, and All-Powerful, in ways that we can tell and ways unknown. The God that we believe in is the Highest Absolute, most Holy Being that to believe in Him in this way is to fully believe, and achieve inner peace but also do good in this life and be rewarded in the next. Yaqin can be strengthened through repeated tafakkur (thinking), tadabbur al-Qur’an (pondering the meaning of the Qur‟an), du’aa (supplication), tawhid (affirmation of the Oneness of Allah [SWT]), al-khulwa (meditation), suhbat al-muwqinin (to be in the company of believers, those with certainty), and ‘amal al-ta’aat (practice of obedient actions). In this way, the path to firm belief in Allah becomes ingrained in the heart and is not a vague belief, but something that has the fullest resonance in one‟s being. After all, what is the point of believing only in part, compared to wholehearted belief? With strong belief and yaqin, after immersing oneself wholeheartedly in the din, there is no choice but to be in His presence all the time. With the guidance and huda from Allah (SWT), we can be blessed from Heaven with the gift of yaqin which strengthens virtues. Things that come as a result of strong certainty are khawf (awe of Allah (SWT) and the fear of wrong-doing which would displease Him), tawwakul (wholly placing all trust in Allah), sabr (patience and restraint, the ability to withstand and endure hardships and tribulations), and rida (contentment and tranquility) in Allah SWT. If one finds that one of these is lacking or weakening, it is to the yaqin that they must turn to and strengthen so that these virtues may also be strong. Al-Jilani adds a wise saying in his chapter on tawakkul saying that “absolute trust in the Lord …

means relying with confidence on what is at the disposal of Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He).” With full reliance on h (SWT), there is no longer worry or concern about the future, about the dunya or the akhira, or fate; there is also full certainty in the truth of the words of the Prophet (PBUH) and the words of Allah (SWT) in the Holy Qur‟an. As Allah (SWT) himself says in Surat al-Fath, “It is He who sent down tranquility into the hearts of believers that they would increase in faith along with their [present] faith. And to Allah belong the soldiers of the heavens and the earth, and ever is Allah Knowing and Wise” (48.4). Full belief in Allah means you are free from worry of the uncertain and the unknown, and are fully faithful that you are constantly in the hands of God. Therefore du’aa becomes sincere and frequent, tribulations are easier to endure, and there is real “spirit” in your faith, not only the word of din but the spirit of din. I was taught this in a dars, but read it again in The Book of Certainty, where the author describes the state of being close to „Paradise‟ as being in the „garden of the spirit,‟ where the scent and vision of Paradise is so close and near to your heart, meaning that the presence of Allah (SWT) incites you to continue to do good deeds and strengthen your iman while avoiding straying from the path and committing transgressions. With all the challenges we face daily, insha’Allah if we commit ourselves to fortifying our iman and yaqin we may improve our life here in the dunya and in the akhira.

——

Note The basic concepts outlined in this article stems from a dars by teacher and da’iya Ms. Manal al-Assyouti, jazaha Allahu khairan. All of Ms. Manal‟s lectures are edifying, inspiring, and enlightening, but I really feel that it is such an important topic in our iman that made me want to share it with the readers of MBMuslima. Other references The Book of Certainty. Sufficient Provision for Seekers of the Path of Truth. www.al-baz.com/shaikhabdalqadir/index.html www.quran.com/48

Image Credit: Roxana González |Dreamstime.com

By Sister Nur Soliman

"Those that remember Me in their heart, I remember them in My heart; and those that remember Me in a gathering (i.e. that make mention of Me), I remember them (i.e. make mention of them) in a gathering better than theirs." ~ Hadith Qudsi, with reference to Qur’an (2:152) The word iman is used very often in Islam but what does it really mean? Faith, right? There is a Hadith narrated by Muslim that aptly lists the six articles that make up iman: “Iman is to believe in Allah, His angels, His scriptures, His Messengers, the Last Day and in Destiny.” Thus iman incorporates all of this, but we are not expected to be perfect and be strong in our iman all of the time. In fact it is expected that it fluctuates with our life experience, so we need to recognize when it weakens and take steps to strengthen it.

1. Establish regular prayer do not give into any excuses for neglect. 2. Take some time out in the evening when everyone is in bed and use it wisely to either pick up the Qur‟an or listen to audio versions to boost your knowledge and energy about Islam. 3. Make special du’aa for help to increase your Iman after fajr or maghrib before speaking to anyone. 4. If you are feeling down and as if you are in a rut, simply make du’aa and ask for forgiveness. 5. Keep a diary or mental check of when you feel as though your Iman is decreasing and guard it; make sure you keep those levels boosted.

So, do not despair when you feel as though your iman is weakening; simply monitor it and by taking these few simple steps you will strengthen your love and taqwa for the Almighty insha’Allah.

By Nadia Ali Photography by Raisah Ali

A child‟s voice proves that innocence does exist.

A child‟s voice oozes with happiness and goodness.

A child‟s voice shows passion and curiosity for life.

A child‟s voice carries hope and aspirations.

A child‟s voice brings inspiration to the world.

A child‟s voice is a source of healing and strength.

A child‟s voice has freshness flowing through it.

A child‟s voice is pure and chaste.

A child‟s voice opens hearts and brings them closer.

A child‟s voice reaches the rainbows with its liveliness.

A child‟s voice serves as a shield from all the evil around us.

A child‟s voice is the anthem of sweetness and kindness.

A child‟s voice holds wisdom, wonder, and will.

A child‟s voice gives reason to see tomorrow.

A child‟s voice is a sign of Allah‟s mercy and blessings upon us.

Image Credit: Salazkin Vladimir | Dreamstime.com

Written by Mariam Al-Kalby

Newspapers littered the streets, some with head-lines about the inflated food prices, some about the

changes the Islamic Party wanted to accomplish. The sun was starting to wane and the hills began to look like camel

humps in the dark as we made our way down the main

street. It was so terribly cold outside that I thought I would lose my teeth from knocking them together so

much. My sweater my mother knitted for me last Ramadan didn‘t seem to warm me up enough. The air

smelled cold and crisp, as though one could hear icicles clink together like glasses. We tossed the beat up soccer

ball we got from our ‗Umo (uncle) Ahmed last Eid, but still

Mansur and I wanted to do something else. I wanted to meet up with Baseer and Ayous and play a

couple of games but Mansur said that he needed me to go somewhere with him. I told him I thought he didn‘t know

what to do but he squinted his brown eyes at me and told

me he knew what he wanted to do and that I had to be patient and wait.

He knew how to bargain and get what he wanted.

Mansur had something confident and mysterious all at the

same time. At least that‘s what one of my friend‘s mother said to my mother one morning as they sipped their

morning tea. I had gotten out of bed when I heard the two exchange their usually morning chitchat. When they

saw me slumber into the kitchen, they quickly changed the

subject to what they needed from the store and what they wanted to cook for dinner that night.

I thought it was interesting that they thought Mansur was mysterious. I mean, he always let me know

how selfish I was if I wanted more ketchup chips, or how

childish I was when I fought with Sarah over the rocking chair. Mansur was confident. He always enjoyed hanging

out with the seventeen year olds and that was when I hated him the most. Don‘t get me wrongl I love my

brother. Actually, I always want to go wherever he goes but when he wants to hang out with Sammy or Rami, my

heart would burn up inside so much I would get

lightheaded and I would have to lie down. Usually Mansur laughed at me when I complained that I wanted to go too,

and that‘s when I understood how Sarah felt when we didn‘t let her join us.

Even though our mother was beating the dough

for the zaa‘tar bread onto the counter like it was a flailing

cockroach, she still caught us trying to go outside. She told us it was too cold to play and that our noses would

freeze off from the cold; Mansur argued with her until she finally raised a floured hand in the air and waved us off.

While we hurried out the back door, before our mother

would change her mind, Sarah stood up from the wobbly kitchen table and said she wanted to go too. Mansur told

her she couldn‘t and that next time he would take her. Her light hazel hair fell over her emerald eyes and she

frowned. Sarah knew there wouldn‘t be a next time; Mansur always told her that and she kept on asking.

Sometimes I felt sorry for her, and other times I didn‘t,

especially when I remembered she snitched to our mother and said that I ate the last bit of rice in the pot when

know one was looking. We passed the falafel store, the smell of oil curling

up to our noses in our hunger, and passed the bread store

where the sound of our stomachs growled into the crowded streets. Even though we had just finished dinner,

Mansur and I knew not to eat to our fill and save the rest of the mansaf for our grandma when she woke up. I

asked Mansur where we were going and he shoved the soccer ball in my arms and told me to keep quiet and wait

until we got there. The ‗welcome‘ sign in English on the

front door hung dangerously from one corner as my brother and I stepped inside the cramped and musty

store. It smelled like dirty money bills and old bananas. The man behind the register was ‗Umo Waleed and always

smelled like cigarettes and coughed like a horse. But as

much as he coughed and smelled like ashes, ‗Umo Waleed was always cheery and friendly to his customers.

The last time we came to get sunflower seeds and Orangina with the money we saved up for the past week,

‗Umo Waleed was talking to us for an hour about how he

used to be in the Jordanian Communist Party. We always nodded and smiled and acted like we were interested.

He would ramble on about meetings that were secretly held, pacts they had to make, and promises that

they had to keep. ‗Umo Waleed did all of this while he lit up one cigarette after another. So much smoke would rise

out of his mouth that it almost looked like he was going to

disappear into a different world, just like in the movies we sometimes watched at Baseer‘s house. Mansur and I

would end up eating the chips we were supposed to save for after dinner but ‗Umo Waleed kept us listening to his

stories for so long that we got hungry. Then after we

licked our fingers clean from the grease and spices of the chips, ‗Umo Waleed would each give us our own Orangina

to wash all the oil down. Mansur rummaged through the tight aisles and

looked at the ketchup-flavored chips and spicy-flavored ones too. I was reaching right over to grab the ketchup

chips when Mansur swatted my hand away from the

crinkly bag and told me to follow him to the front of the store. ‗Umo Waleed smiled at us and asked what was new

with us. Mansur grinned and said nothing much was happening and asked if he had any more sunflower seeds.

While ‗Umo Waleed went to the back of the store

to see if he had any bags ―hiding somewhere,‖ Mansur stepped into the back of the counter and grabbed a pack

of Marlboros and casually slipped them into his black jeans pocket and quickly shouted that never mind, he didn‘t

want any sunflower seeds and that our mother want us to

buy any for this week. Mansur turned around with a smug look on his face and headed quickly out the front door

while I scurried after him, shocked that he stole something and shocked even more that he smoked. ‗Umo Waleed

shouted something about finding some sunflower seeds in the back when my heart shook as I followed behind Man-

sur‘s dark body.

I asked him what he thought he was doing, as I panted and shivered at the same time. Mansur didn‘t say

anything until we got to a dark alley where nobody was there. He leaned back against the brick building and lifted

one leg and placed his foot against the wall. He reached

into his right pocket and pulled out the noisy cigarettes. Slowly he unwrapped the box like it was some special gift,

and lifted a nice white slim roll. He rolled it with his ingers like he was looking at a diamond and put it into his

mouth. Then Mansur cursed. He said he forgot to get a lighter. ―You mean steal a lighter,‖ I said. ―Shut up,‖ he

growled back and walked out of the alley into the dimly lit

street. The smell of burnt milk filled my nostrils as I woke

up the following morning. I tossed the scratchy red comforter to the side and threw my feet over the edge of

the bed. My toes looked blue from the cold. King

Abdullah II‘s face stared back at me as I noticed the edges of the poster curled up. His sky blue eyes looked like they

carried many secrets, and his face held a quiet and deceiving look. He looked like he had plans he wasn‘t

going to share with anyone and the half smile on his face

looked so…smug. I shivered from the thought and stretched my arms above my head. Mama hung the

poster for us five months before and told us that she wanted us to aspire to be someone great like King

Abdullah II. Mansur had snorted when she said that and Mama frowned at him as her eyes wrinkled in

disappointment.

I reached over and pinched his nose until he finally swatted my hands away from his face and glared at

me sleepily with his large brown eyes. The smell of Mansur‘s sleep, a sour and warm smell, hit me in the face

as I giggled and leaped off the bed, tripping over my own gray pants as I made my way out the door.

As I was walked to the kitchen, I overheard Mama

and her friend Khala Amina talking as the pots banging in the sink played like background music. It seemed like

whenever I woke up the past week, the clanging of metal increased each day. Mama seemed to be more upset but

whenever I asked she smiled quickly and said that the pot

made her mad when she couldn‘t scrub away the

blackness in the bottom of it. The tile floor was absolutely freezing my feet and as I approached, I knew they heard

me coming and they started to whisper in rushed tones before I walked in. I knew it must be things they didn‘t

want anyone else to hear. That must have meant they

were talking about really interesting things like the Islamic Brother‘s Union or the Jordanian Communist Party like

‗Umo Waleed. Khala Amina was gingerly holding the chipped tea

mug to her face as I walked in. The steam curled above her green eyes, and she smiled briefly at me as I asked

Mama what I could have for breakfast. I wanted to drink

my favorite chocolate drink, Ovaltine, for breakfast but Mama shook her head, her dark curls covering her eyes

while she stirred the chicken soup in the biggest pot we had. She was stirring fast and she ended up splattering

some on her polka dotted dress she said wasn‘t in style

anymore.

After she placed the bread in her mouth, she

reached over to get some more, and then she changed her mind and placed her hands in lap.

I guess Mama saw this and encouraged her to eat;

Khala Amina refused and said she already had too much. The way her eyes wrinkled on the sides and how her

mouth became a straight line, I knew she was just saying that to Mama. It was like there were tears behind her

eyes. I turned around and opened the creaky cupboard

and there was only a bag of zaatar and some dried black beans. I asked Mama when she was going to go shopping

and she said she wasn‘t going to go for this week because they rose up the prices for food and Mansur still hadn‘t

found any work. I groaned and moped out of the kitchen,

regretting that I had because Mama hated it when I did this in front of guests.

Mansur and I were roaming the crowded streets. This time we were on a mission: Mansur had to find work

fast. I guess Baba wasn‘t sending enough money from the UAE where he was working on contracting new

buildings. Mama also said that Mansur needed to grow up

and help his family out even if we had so much money. We were bundled up in our coats as we huffed

and puffed, our breaths coming out like cigarette smoke. We had walked to about every store in town, at least it felt

like that to me, and still Mansur didn‘t find any place to

work at. The streets were littered with Pepsi cans, gum wrappers, and cigarette butts. Lots of them. The

sidewalks were cracked and so many times we were walking so fast, I nearly fell flat on my face.

Cars honked and pigeons fluttered everywhere.

The smell in the air hung like drapes, the odors from smoke from teenagers huddled in a corner with slicked

back hair to breads and pastries being baked.

When Mansur asked if they were looking for

anybody to work, they said they already had workers, some said they couldn‘t afford to hire any help, and some

sneered at us and turned away from us like we were

beggars. The more we got turned away, the more quiet

and grim Mansur became. His eyes began to turn red, and his hair was starting to stick every which way. Most

of the time we walked and he didn‘t say anything to me. I knew that he was thinking. And when he balled his fists

to the sides of him, I knew he really was thinking hard.

It was defiantly best not to ask any questions. Finally Mansur paused at one store; they sold

hardware and wood. Mansur pushed the door open and we were welcomed by a gust of warm air. We walked to

the back of the store until we found a man sitting on a

stool dragging on his cigar. His face looked scruffy and his hair curled into a massive ball. Mansur coughed and

asked if he was hiring. The man looked at him up and down and then with a mouth full of broken teeth asked if

he was Bisher‘s son. Mansur asked how he knew and the man said he looked just like him. Then the man stood up

and leaned over the counter of hammers and

screwdrivers and told him to get the hell out. Mansur

stepped back a little and asked why he would say something like that. Your father knew how to cause a lot

of problems here, the man said. He deserved to be in prison getting beat up and tortured, after being in the

Islamic Party trying to stop the ―corruption.‖ ―I don‘t

want to deal with people or their kids that can make me go to prison,‖ said the man. ―I don‘t want to get in

trouble with the government; I already have more than enough problems,‖ he said as he ate at his cigar angrily.

Mansur squinted at him, surprised and said that our father was in UAE working. The man slapped his

thigh and coughed a laugh and said is that what your

mother told you? Boy, she must be acting some quite a play for you kids. I looked at Mansur‘s face and I could

see that he knew Mama had deceived him. He balled his hands into fists and stormed out of the store, me

skittering behind.

The next morning I woke up to an empty space beside me. Mansur loved sleeping in, especially in winter,

and he wasn‘t there. I saw a piece of paper peeking from under the yellow pillow and I pulled it out. It said

that he was leaving to join Baba and the Islamic Party but I wasn‘t supposed to tell anyone and that after I read this

note, I should rip it apart. He also said not to worry be-

cause he was bringing Baba and justice back to Amman. I ran to the window and opened it; I let the cold wash

over my wet and heated face and saw birds flying in the bright blue cloudless sky.

Image Credit: Artaniss8 |Dreamstime.com

The Prophet SAWS, "Soon others will be preferred to you, and there will be things which you will not like. (I order you) to give the rights that are on you and to ask your rights from Allah."

Aasia, the Pharoah‘s wife epitomized this element of imaan and earned her place in the highest ranks of Jannah. What then keeps us from applying this hadith in our daily lives? From minor squabbles to major trials – it is

imperative to perform our rights as a wife, and place our trust in Allah Al-Wakeel.

Whether black, white, red or brown From a different country, a different town Anger will produce the same sound, Dislike will put forth the same frown;

In this life we can‟t stand by each other for such a short while Then passing through our eyes, ought to flow the Nile.

The zebra has been created as a beautiful creature For it is clothed with a very unique feature Black and white work hand in hand To teach a lesson to the foolish man;

Never mocked each other or pulled out a knife For they understood their object in life; Even the bounty of sight Teaches us not to fight For the organ used to find light is Amazingly made up of black and white.

So whilst the rest of the world can fight, argue and mourn In a place where love, happiness and peace is all but gone

We will be a place of warmth for those out in the cold A means of inspiration for those whose honor was sold A shoulder to cry on for an orphaned brother An encouragement to keep living for a heartbroken mother We will stand side by side for each others‟ well-being And show the world what is meant by hearts being clean Portray to them the teachings of our honorable master So that they can be saved from a future disaster.

But rather be at his side ready to aid, For never was there a beautiful picture with only one shade.

Image Credit: Lars Christensen | Dreamstime.com

ALEXANDRA By Yusuf Omar

Named after the township of Alexandra, Gauteng

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10 eggs, preferably cage-free brown eggs

1 cup arugula

1/8 cup shaved carrots or thinly julienned carrot strips

1/8 cup shaved broccoli stems

white, extra sharp cheddar cheese (I prefer the Tillamook brand)

Parmesan cheese

1/8 tsp. black pepper, or to taste

¼ tsp. salt, or to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350º.

2. Put all ingredients into an oven-safe dish and whisk together well. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until top is evenly browned.

This is the quickest oven-baked frittata to prepare. Normally I would add flour and milk to a dish like this, but on the day it was made, I was in such a hurry there was no time to think about accurately measuring the two. It re-sulted in one of the fluffiest and most delicious frittatas we‟ve ever had-simplicity at its best.

Use whatever veggies you have and make a meal of it with soup or a side salad. If you have leftovers, cut squares of the frittata and place on your fa-

Photo courtesy Halal culinary

expert, Yvonne Maffei

Email your question to info@mbmuslima.com

We will make sure it gets answered in our next issue,

just for you!

Jazakum Allah khairan!

Feature* Q&A with Halal Culinary Expert,

Yvonne Maffei from My Halal Kitchen!

*Special

By Yvonne Maffei, Halal Culinary Expert

Surely the greatest thing in life is the remem-brance of Allah (SWT). The sole purpose of one being in a constant state of dhikr is to purify our hearts and uplift our spirits. When we are doing dhikr silently in our hearts we should do it in a sincere manner, remembering Allah, so that He may remember us. When doing so, we are preventing ourselves from any type of sin or tempta-tion. Performing dhikr in our hearts and not just by our tongue is how we can truly minimize our sins. Dhikr comforts our heart and soul with tranquil-ity. When we praise Allah swt, we open our hearts to Him. In a hadith, the Prophet (pbuh) says, “When any group of men remembers Allah, angels surround them with mercy, tranquility descends upon them. And Allah mentions them to those who are with Him” (reported by Abu Hurairiah).

Saying subhan Allah wa bihamdihi (Glorified is Allah with all praise due to Him) a hundred times during the day will have all sins wiped off immediately even if they were as numerous as the foam of the surface of the sea” (Narrated by Abu Hurairiah) The Prophet (pbuh) also says “when a servent of Allah says the words la ilaha illa‟Allah (there is none wor-thy of worship except Allah) sincerely, the doors of heaven open up for these words until they reach the Throne of Allah. So long as the utter keeps away from major sins” (reported by Abu Hurairiah) In terms of reciting forms of dhikr and trying to keep count, the best is to count phrases on the fingers rather than the masbaha. This is better because on the Day of Judgment our fingers will be questioned and they will speak on our behalf as witnesses to what we have done in our life.

Dhikr‟s importance in Islam has even the way we are to be facing has certain standards. It‟s best that when doing dhikr, that we face the Ka‟bah. We should aim to utter dhikr silently and with sincerity to ourselves in low voices. The Prophet (pbuh) said “Give yourselves a res-pite, you are not calling upon someone deaf or absent. Surely He whom you are calling upon is near you and He listens to all” (narrated by Abu Hurairiah) The Prophet (pbuh) said to the companions when they asked “What are the gardens O messenger of Allah?, he replied the assemblies or circles of dhikr. There are some angels of Allah who go looking for these assemblies of dhikr and when they find them they surround them” (Narrated Ibn Umar) “Allah swt says- I am to my servant as he expects of Me, I am with him when he remembers Me. If he re-members Me in his heart, I remember him in My heart, and if he remembers Me in assembly, I mention him in an assembly better than his, and if he draws nearer to Me a hand‟s span, I draw nearer to him an arm‟s length, and if he comes to me walking I come to him running” SubhanAllah! Never forget the One who has given you life and

can take it away. Remember Allah swt in every decision,

action or plan you pursue. Surely those who remember

Allah swt are guided on the straight path. May Allah swt

keep us all guided on this path, and purify our hearts and

intentions,

By Amani Zidan

1. Alhamdu lillahi allathee anzala AAalaAAabdihi alkitaba walam yajAAal lahu AAiwajan

All the praises and thanks be to Allah, Who has sent down to His slave (Muhammad) the Book (the Qur'an), and has not placed therein any crookedness.

2. Qayyiman liyunthira ba/san shadeedan min ladunhu wayubashshiraalmu/mineena allatheena yaAAmaloona alssalihati anna lahum ajran hasanan

(He has made it) Straight to give warning (to the disbelievers) of a severe punishment from Him, and to give glad tidings to the believers (in the Oneness of Allah Islamic Monotheism), who work righteous deeds, that they shall have a fair reward (i.e. Paradise).

3. Makitheena feehi abadan

They shall abide therein forever. 4. Wayunthira allatheena qaloo ittakhatha Allahuwaladan

And to warn those who say, "Allah has begotten a son (or offspring or children)." 5. Ma lahum bihi min AAilmin wala li-aba-ihimkaburat kalimatan takhruju min afwahihim in yaqooloona illa kathiban

No knowledge have they of such a thing, nor had their fathers. Mighty is the word that comes out of their mouths [i.e. He begot (took) sons and daughters]. They utter nothing but a lie.

6. FalaAAallaka bakhiAAun nafsaka AAala atharihimin lam yu/minoo bihatha alhadeethi asafan

Perhaps, you, would kill yourself (O Muhammad) in grief, over their footsteps (for their turning away from you), because they believe not in this narration (the Qur'an).

7. Inna jaAAalna ma AAala al-ardizeenatan laha linabluwahum ayyuhum ahsanu AAamalan

Verily! We have made that which is on earth as an adornment for it, in order that We may test them (mankind) as to which of them are best in deeds. [i.e. those who do good deeds in the most perfect manner, that means to do them (deeds) totally for Allah's sake and in accordance to the legal ways of the Prophet].

8. Wa-inna lajaAAiloona ma AAalayha saAAeedanjuruzan

And verily! We shall make all that is on it (the earth) a bare dry soil (without any vegetation or trees, etc.). 9. Am hasibta anna as-haba alkahfi waalrraqeemi kanoo min ayatinaAAajaban

Do you think that the people of the Cave and the Inscription (the news or the names of the people of the Cave) were a wonder among Our Signs?

10. Ith awa alfityatu ila alkahfi faqaloo rabbanaatina min ladunka rahmatan wahayyi/ lana min amrinarashadan

(Remember) when the young men fled for refuge (from their disbelieving folk) to the Cave, they said: "Our Lord! Bestow on us mercy from Yourself, and facilitate for us our affair in the right way!"

Translation: http://noblequran.com/translation/index.html

Transliteration: http://www.islambasics.com/view.php?bkID=30&chapter=18

WORDS EXPLAINED FOR THE NON-MUSLIM

InshaAllah Simply translated from Arabic to English,

InshaAllah means „God willing‟. This is a very commonly used

phrase, as Muslims believe God has power over everything.

MashaAllah Simply translated from Arabic to English ,

MashaAllah means 'Whatever Allah (God) wills'. Often, it is

used as an expression of delight or achievement.

JazakAllah khairan Simply translated from Arabic to

English, jazakAllah khairun means „May Allah reward you for

the good”. This is commonly used to thank someone or to

acknowledge someone‟s effort.

SubhanAllah In Arabic, SubhanAllah means „Glorious is

Allah”. This is used when praising God. It is also commonly

used as a exclamation like “Wow!”.

Masjid The Masjid is simply the Arabic word for Mosque.

Many Muslims refer to the Mosque as a Masjid. Masjids are

primarily used for Salah (Prayer)

Jummah prayer The Friday prayer services that Muslims

attend weekly.

SWT: Subhana wa’ta3la Arabic Praise used after the name

of Allah meaning „glorious and exalted is He”

Hijab Headscarf prescribed to Muslim women for modesty

purposes

Shahadah Declaration of Islamic faith.

Assalamu Alaykum May peace be unto you.