Concept of Wearing Abaya in Islam

Abaya for women, abayas come in many forms and are worn by muslims

In Islamic culture, Abaya is one of the most significant pieces of clothing for women. It is a graceful, gorgeous garment with the original aim of preserving Islam’s dignity. An Islamic Abaya is a long, usually black dress worn by women in Muslim countries. Women are required to wear this Muslim clothing when they leave … Read moreConcept of Wearing Abaya in Islam

To Bee or Not To Bee; Benefits of Beekeeping, with Osama Idlibi

To Bee or Not To Bee; Benefits of Beekeeping, with Osama Idlibi

Imagine you went to the grocery store to buy fruits, vegetables or just some mustard; you look in stands or on the shelf and see that everything costs ten times as much. You wonder why, so you ask an employee. They would tell you, it’s because the local producers can no longer meet the demand … Read moreTo Bee or Not To Bee; Benefits of Beekeeping, with Osama Idlibi

Divine Will and Decree

Divine Will and Decree

By Imam Yahya

Perhaps one of the most challenging subjects that believers deal with, and theologians have attempted to talk about is the issue of divine will and decree. I’ve had, I’m going to say dozens of people come to me, “Imam, I’m just having a hard time with something, and I need your help to understand something.” After we sit down, “What about predestination, and faith, and it seems like our belief says that, you know, He knows and this and that,” and they’re getting into philosophizing of it. There’s no room in Islamic theology from a creed standpoint to philosophize, we don’t have that. One of the great notions that a final messengership carries is that there is absolute clarity. There are Muhkamath and there are Muth As-shabihath in the Qur’an. There are clear, decisive teachings which will Shaf-i it will give you comfort, you will understand. There are things that it seems like it’s hard to grasp, a little bit, ambiguous, or allegorical perhaps, and so in this subject, both of those are there. The scholar said, “We take thee ayah or the hadith that seems to be problematic, or unclear, or allegorical, and we understand it under the understanding of the clear, decisive teachings of Islam.

Read moreDivine Will and Decree

Is there a meaning to this life ?

Meaning of Life

By Mohamed Haroon Sait

“I did not create the Jinns and the human beings except for the purpose that they should worship Me.” (Adh-Dhariyat: 55)

Portrait of Dawah man, Haroon SaitWhile the scientists are searching for life on Mars and on other planets, it appears that the purpose of life that exists on the Earth is not something that is given any importance at all.

In my conversations with many of my friends and colleagues as well as people that I come across in outreach, I get all kinds of answers on this important question. I do not remember any one saying that there is no purpose to this life. At least, I have not come across such an answer. Most common among the answers is “we should be good to each other”. Even though the answer is too broad in the scope, it sounds good. The only issue is, who will decide what is good? What I consider good may not be good to another. What about the five billion people on Earth who live in different continents with diverse cultures? Do we all agree on what is “good”?  While we may agree on some, we may differ on many. Let us assume we agree on everything.  Then the next question is how can we be sure that being good to each other is the purpose of this life? Isn’t that just a guess? If someone else comes with a better theory, then will that become the purpose of this life?

Read moreIs there a meaning to this life ?

Significance of Arafa

Mount Arafat

By Imam Abdi Dahir

My dear brothers and sisters in Islam, there is no anything that will happen Yawmul Qiyaamah, on the Day of Judgement accept what Allah has given us the examples in this dunya that thing that will happen. Allah (swt) He told us there is anhar in the jannah . There’s a different river in the jannah, and He gives us those rivers in this dunya, and a house, and the women, all these things are here. He told us also that He will gather the first one and the last one, all of them, and that gathering and the Mahsher Al-Musaggar when Allah will gather the human beings, all of them, in one place, Allah will show you Subhanahu Jalla Jalaluhu that example on Sunday, this Sunday inshaa’allah. Muslims will start the hajj tomorrow Yawmul Tharviyya, the eighth of Dhul-Hijjah. Sunday is Yawmul-Arafa. Rasulullah (saws) said, “the whole hajj is Arafa.” Meaning if you miss Arafa, you missed the whole thing. Arafa is Mahsher Al-Musaggar is when Allah gathers the human beings from the beginning to the end, that’s the same thing. The only thing different is they’re starting to wear some clothes, but at that time they were not clothed, they were not wearing anything. Subhanallah, they will be naked. This day, Yawmul-Arafa is the greatest day of the whole year, a day. The best day in the whole year is Yawmul-Arafa. Yawmul-Arafa has the virtues.

Read moreSignificance of Arafa

In the Footsteps of the Prophets

Masjid Al Haram

By Duston Barto

Labbaika Allahumma, Labbaik, Labbaika laa shareeka laka labbaik. Innal-Hamda wanni’mata laka wal mulk La shareeka lak Labbaik.

(Translation: Here I am, O Allah, here I am! There is none comparable to You and to You I have come, Here I am! Verily all Praise and Grace are Yours and the Kingdom. Most Beloved are You, without a partner. In my Heart there is room for none, only You. Here I am, O Allah, here I am!)

In the 13 years since my Hajj I have heard these words echo in my mind many times.  They remind me to make good on my promises of Hajj, to remember the lessons and to continue walking in the footsteps of the Prophets.

Read moreIn the Footsteps of the Prophets

Reflecting on Departure from this Life in Preparation for the Next

Reflecting on Departure from this Life in Preparation for the Next

By Imam Osama Salhia

All praises belonging to Allah (SWT) and may the peace and blessings be upon our beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAWS). Oh you who believe be conscious of Allah and do not die except upon faith, amma ba’ad. Brothers and sisters, Ramadan 2016 or 1437 is now a set of memories. Just as we can all maybe remember some of the scenes of Ramadan 2015, Ramadan 2016 has now come to an end. Each one of us have their own set of experiences, and may remember a few of them, or insha’allah all of them in the years to come. Remember, brothers and sisters, the anticipation and the preparation that we were all making for Ramadan just a few weeks ago. Ramadan 2017, if we’re blessed to witness it, will also be a set of memories in our lives just as we have come to this point two days after Eid last year. We will also come to this point next year, and the days of our lives past.

Read moreReflecting on Departure from this Life in Preparation for the Next

Keeping the Faith Beyond Ramadan

Keeping the Faith Beyond Ramadan

By Kamran Arshad

My respective brothers and sisters in Islam, insha’allah, I’ve prepared a short khutbah for the Jumu’ah today. Though the talk I’ve prepared today is short, but the topic is quite lengthy, so insha’allah I will try to touch on summarization, touch on some on essential points in these topics. The topic I want to touch upon has two portions. One is, what is, in our religion, deen Islam, what is the difference between faith and divine law. As Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) prescribed this deen on us, and when I say on us, I’m not only including us as Muslims, I mean all of humanity when Allah (SWT) provided this religion to us. It acquires two very distinct features for us to understand and comply with. One essential starting point is faith. For anyone to be inside the fold or within the religion of Islam have to have faith. Without faith, I will not be Muslim, that is the starting point. I have to have faith to understand what is required of me to be a Muslim. What is required of me to have faith so I can be within the fold of Islam, that is a starting point.

Read moreKeeping the Faith Beyond Ramadan