NorthWest Muslim - Summer 2019

Issue 14, June 2019 Photo by Eliott Van Buggenhout on Unsplash

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By the Grace and Mercy of Allah, after a cold and bitter winter, Allah has blessed us with an early spring. With some cold bouts here and there, we are content. But as summer is approaching, so is the threat of wildfire and floods. For the past few years, we have seen wildfires pretty much throughout the summer. Global warming is a worldwide phenomenon that refers to the spike in the Earth's average surface temperature.

A wildfire had engulfed many parts of Fort McMurray, a few years back. Wildfires are still raging in many parts of Alberta. Moreover, last year wildfires engulfed the town of Paradise in California. We pray that Allah protect and save us from any sudden reproachable tests or punishments. Ameen!

Alhamdulillah we were blessed in witnessing the complete month of Ramadan, a month marked by Allah's mercy and forgiveness. Ramadan is a time to reflect and see what’s in our hearts. When we are busy with our day to day lives, dust, grime, ill-will and dirt accumulate in our hearts, just as they gather in our houses and cars. They usually hide from plain sight. Ramadan is an awesome occasion to see what type of unnecessary and unwanted emotions and things we are hoarding inside. It is a time to set up an interview with ourselves - asking what methods we can use to clean, scrub and shine the (Continued on page 3)

Photo by Darren Nunis on Unsplash

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heart. For this, we will need a conscientious effort to understand which part of our heart needs cleaning, or repair—or is this the time for a total transplant. I hope that our hearts have not become so hardened that we have become people about whom in Quran Allah says they are ‘deaf, dumb, and blind’ (2:18). ‫ ان شاءهللا‬soon we will all celebrate Eid together; a joyous moment for all of us. As Ramadan is for reflection, Eid is the time to be thankful and make ‫ دعاء‬to accept all the virtuous deeds we tried to accumulate during the month of Ramadan. In addition, let’s take a moment to keep our promises made to ourselves to continue the goodness we tried to do in Ramadan.

This issue is filled with inspiring pieces. Story of “Dawood (AS)”, the last part of “The Call Home” which concludes the Hajj travelogue. Furthermore, you can indulge in our “Tib-e-Nabvi” piece about Olives, and an opinion about why health education is necessary in our article “Health Education-Hikmah or Hype”. You’ll find beneficial and entertaining pieces in our book review on Hamza Yusuf’s book “Purification of the Heart”, our Humor piece “Nadia’s Dholki”, and serious pieces on stigma around mental health, in “Treating Mental Issues Without Stigma”. You’ll also discover a unique literary style used in “Patience, Hope & Struggle”, where our writer tries to collect inspiration through profound words of Qur’an. Hopefully you’ll find it beneficial to you too!

Read, reflect and share, and later leave us with your comments at northwestmuslim@gmail.com We like to have new writers contribute to our magazine. If you don’t know what to write about, ask us and we’ll give you a topic to start! We encourage new and committed writers.

Keep us in your prayers. See You Soon ‫! ان شاءهللا‬

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Editorial

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The Call Home

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Treating Mental Issues Without Stigma

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Health Education-Hikmah or Hype

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Book Review– Purification of The Heart

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Dawood (AS) Prophet, King & The Judge

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MFNS Food & Clothing Drive

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Tib-e-Nabvi (Olives)

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Medicinal Benefits' of Olives

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Suhoor Wars (Bagels & Haleem)

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Humor- (Nadia’s Dholki)

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Patience, Hope & Struggle

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Back Cover

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© NWMM NorthWest Muslim Magazine 4

Editor-in-Chief Shaista Khurshid

Editors & Writers Afshan Habib Shazia Aamir

Contributors Ahsan Ayub

Rabia Khan

Layout and Cover

Beenish Khurshid

Shaista Khurshid

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[A personal account of a young woman’s trip to the Holy Lands to perform Hajj, the holy pilgrimage to Makkah during the sacred days of Hajj, to be performed by every Muslim who is able to, at least once in their lifetime].

(Read parts 1 and 2 in the January and March 2019 editions of the NorthWest Muslim)

Author’s Introduction The German poet Christian Morgenstern wrote: "Home is not where you live, but where they understand you.

PART 3: Madinah, The Enlightened City.

The road to Madinah was an amazingly picturesque experience. The stunning desert landscape, the quaint small towns, the beautiful mosques in every small town. I believe we may have even seen a volcano on the way. Every stop along the way, people would rush into our bus, and hand us water and food. Subhanallah and Alhamdulillah. May Allah bless them in this life and the next. As we drove into the city, the first thing we saw was the large gravesite, “Jannat-ul-Baqi”, as it is called. Jannat meaning Garden, and Baqi refers to a specific type of plant.

Our hotel was nice. A step down from the luxury of Makkah, but still quite nice. Think 5-star buffet the size of one elaborate wedding (and not two like in Makkah!)

The goal in Madinah was to pray as often as possible in the Prophet’s Mosque. I was eager.

I had many happy memories from my childhood at the Prophet's mosque - some of my best

memories. So we set out. The Mosque wasn’t quite near, but neither was it far. When I reached the courtyard, my brother left to go pray, and I set out in search of the women’s prayer area. Fancy digital signs pointed me along. But when I followed them, I saw no women’s section. I was confused. I then asked someone, and they pointed me further down. So I set out, still having trouble finding it, turning back a few times, till I finally found it. The women’s section was at the back of the mosque. If the hotel to the mosque was 600 meters, the mosque to the women’s side was another 600 meters, making the walk over a km. I was tired after a days travels, and so a little frustrated, but being young, I took it.

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When I got back to the hotel, I realized many of the older women, and not so older women, had found the trip far to exhausting, and weren’t planning to go much more often during our stay. This was quite disheartening, considering how far these women had travelled to visit the Prophet’s mosque and pray at it.

The next morning, at Fajr, I set out early, to make sure I could find a nice spot, and actually catch the prayer in time! I had decided that I would pray in the courtyard closer to my hotel. So I got to the mosque, picked a nice spot behind a pillar, and sat down.

Not long after, an elderly man came by, and told me I couldn’t pray here (in a different

languages that I couldn’t quite understand). We found a common language, and I realized he was saying that I was not standing behind the Imam, so my prayer wouldn’t count. So I moved in further, and sat down again.

Looking behind me, I saw religious police telling another group of women to leave, and go to the women’s section. My experience in Makkah with religious police has been fairly good, but Madinah seemed to be a lot more strict. Soon enough, he came to me. I explained to him that the women’s section was really far. “Just there” he said. “Lie”, I thought, as I held myself back from rolling my eyes. I stood for a while, considering what I should do next. Should I go to the women’s section another 5-10 min walk from here? I was really tired - exhausted from Hajj and traveling. I stood some more thinking it through. I said to the Mutawah, the Prophet wouldn’t have asked women to walk the length of Madinah to go to pray at his mosque. (Fact: the Prophet’s mosque today + courtyard is the size of the whole town of madinah in the prophet’s time). And I turned, and left. My hope was that he might realize that these strict rules on where women could and could not pray, was turning women away from the Mosque, and Rasulullah (SAW) had warned against turning women away from Mosques.

Admittedly, this was a little dramatic, and over the next few days, I looked for some place to complain officially. Not only was the women’s section in just the back part of the mosque, but the section was so full, that many women prayed outside, filling up the outdoor women’s courtyard, and praying in the overflow courtyard outside the fenced in courtyard. The men’s section on the other hand felt quite comfortable and airy.

How Muslims feel treating women as second class, and not giving them equal comfort and space at houses of God is something I have never quite understood. Treat your brother (Continued on page 8)

Photo by: Abdullah_Shakoor7

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The Call home

the way you wish to be treated. I guess our Ummah forgot that by “brother” the Prophet (SAW) meant “brother and sister”. Or that the Prophet (SAW) said, the best of you are those that are best to your womenfolk. Best? Far from it, unfortunately.

How far we have come from the enlightenment of this blessed city, the wisdom of our beautiful Prophet (SAW)’s perfected ways.

May Allah guide us all.

--While in Madinah, many people made it a point to visit the Prophet’s grave, and to pray in the area between his home and his mimbar - which is said to be the equivalent of praying in Jannah.

So I set out — another mission. After praying Isha, I then waited in the appropriate section to join those who would visit Riyaz-ul-Jannah. I waited, not really understanding what I was waiting for. I asked a few people, got confused, and left. On my way back, I ran into an aunty who was in our Hajj group. She asked if I had visited the Prophet’s grave yet — that’s what she was going to go do. So I joined her — maybe she would know better than me. She was a big and strong woman. And next to skinny me, I felt protected from the forces that we were about to encounter.

Going to the Rawdah was an experience of cattle-hood. We were herded into holding pens.

And there we waited, not knowing what was going to come next. And then we were herded again, into another pen. Waiting. Not knowing what was going to come next and when. And then again. I believe we were herded into at least 4 different pens before we made it into the last pen.

When the gates would open to go to the next pen, women would run, pushing past others. I would silently smile at the misdirected enthusiasm. Women would push past each other while waiting, climbing over each other’s shoulder. When the mutawah would yell at them (and the mutawah knew how to yell in pretty much every common Muslim language - Malay, Urdu/Hindi, Arabic, Farsi, English), they would make excuses, and outright lies. I thought Subhanallah. At the house of God, visiting the Prophet (SAW)’s grave, and lies. Subhanallah.

When we got to our last pen, We were packed like sardines. Standing back to back, with no room to move. Aunty and I held on to each other very strongly, and discussed our lives and the world to pass the time in this latest pen, and admired the architecture of this older inner (Continued on page 9)

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part of the mosque. We got yelled at once by an older lady who said we should be doing zikr here, not talking. I thought talking and making light of the situation was better than fighting and pushing past each other, which is what many women were doing. After breaking up a few fights, we finally realized that we had reached the Rawdah, and were not in a holding pen! Oops. There wasn’t much space, so we prayed standing.

When we finally got space to leave, and we began walking out, Aunty pointed out an empty corner at the front and suggested I pray there while she guarded me - God bless her soul. So lucky me, I got to pray 4 rakat in the Rawdah, 2 standing, and 2 proper and in peace. Subhanallah. Without pushing, shoving, or getting into any fights. The reward of patience…

As we got back, we heard the men hadn’t been so lucky. There were elbows, and flying glasses, and injuries.

It’s funny how Shaytan convinces us that this trip it’s about winning, or showing

off to people back home “I prayed in the Rawdah”, and not actually honouring respectfully the memory of the Prophet (SAW), and praying a solemn prayer there in homage of his message.

Truly, how far we have come.

-- The airport in Madinah was beautiful. A digitized man in a keffiyeh waived at us and wished us an accepted Hajj as we waited in line for immigration. And soon, we were off. Flying back to Montreal, and then Calgary. Minus what?’ I thought as the WestJet captain announced the on ground temperature. Oh yea, Calgary.

The drive home felt strangely dissociative. An aunty and uncle had graciously offered to pick us up from the airport, feed us, and drive us home, May Allah have mercy on them. Having lived in Calgary now almost half my life, it was surprising that the plains, the homes, the sky, the prairie landscape all felt distinctly foreign.

But this was home, I reminded myself. For some reason, it didn’t feel that way anymore.

It was as if the journey was home, and home was just a temporary journey.

Photo by Boris Smokrovic on Unsplash

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By: Ahsan Ayub Stigma /ˈstiɡmə/ Noun 1- a mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person.

2- a mark of shame or discredit Synonyms: shame, disgrace, dishonor Mental illness /ˈmen(t)l ˈilnəs/ Compound 1- health conditions involving changes in emotion, thinking or behavior (or a combination of these 2- behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning Synonyms: mental disorder, psychiatric disorder

There are a multitude of psychiatric disorders that plague an even bigger multitude of people throughout the world. Some of the most common mental disorders include clinical depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, and others. Classification of a few disorders as “psychiatric”, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), is contested by some experts in the field who argue such disorders should be categorized as “neurobiological”. While pathophysiology of such disorders supports their categorization as neurological as opposed to psychiatric, the outward symptoms presented by people with disorders like ASD are psychiatric in nature.

People suffering from mental illnesses are very often on the receiving end of discrimination and stigma from the society. The sad and less-understood aspect of this social stigma is its origin; the root of discrimination people with mental disorders are subjected to are not “bad people” – rather, it is the lack of understanding

and, for the lack of a better word, ignorance.

People most often aren’t even aware of their stigmatizing behaviour against patients of mental disorders.

Here’s a hypothetical scenario: You are walking around in the Costco and there’s a 25-year old man making “strange” and “funny” noises.

How often would our first instinct be to move away and to tell our young children to “not look at him”. I, like most people, have been guilty of such discriminating behaviour in the past. I understand the need to “protect(?)” our children, but someone making incoherent noises does not, and should not, be assumed to be ‘dangerous’.

Another example of where many of us are unwitting contributors towards the stigma would be with a socially-awkward 20-year old; how long after meeting them does our tone turn exponentially patronizing and condescending without us even realizing? We often, unintentionally, bridge weak social skills to low intellect. This type of behaviour is prevalent when interacting with people diagnosed with ASD (specifically Asperger’s syndrome) and Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD). ADD and ADHD are characterized by the inability to focus, sit still or inhibit behavior, organize, control impulses, and delay gratification – all these symptoms culminate into the patient often being described as “annoying” and someone who “has had too much sugar/ coffee”, and other colorful phrases like these. While such descriptors are said in jest and appear harmless enough, quiet often, they may affect the patient’s psyche to a varying degree.

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So why have we become so insensitive and rude without even realizing it?

While there are several factors that are major contributors towards the social stigma against patients with a mental disorder, perhaps the biggest is media. Many studies have found that media and the entertainment industry play a key role in shaping public opinions about mental health and illness. People with mental health conditions are often depicted as dangerous, violent and unpredictable. News stories that sensationalize violent acts by a person with a mental health condition are typically featured as headline news; while there are far fewer articles or shows that feature stories of recovery or positive news concerning similar individuals. Entertainment frequently features negative images and stereotypes about mental health conditions, and these portrayals have been strongly linked to the development of fears and misunderstanding. Going back to the 25-year old in Costco, him appearing ‘dangerous’ may be (most likely is) a direct consequence of absorbing too many movies or TV shows where people diagnosed with a mental disorder are more likely to be a serial killer than they are of suffering from Tourette’s syndrome or Thought disorder – both psychiatric conditions characterized by vocal tics and disorganized speech, respectively.

Even though possible, the chances of that happening are minimal. Psychiatric disorders, like other conditions like cancers, have physiological roots, and aren’t just “in the head”, as I’ve been told before. This, by no means, is to suggest that prayers don’t work; they most definitely do, but like someone with back pain would take Advil or some other pain medicine for relief along with praying, treating mental illnesses would also require medicine or counselling.

We must start contributing against the growing paranoia and the social stigma that plagues mentally ill individuals. And believe it or not, it’s not that difficult. Understanding how we can be a positive influence towards eradicating the discrimination requires only an open-mind and patience. Start by accepting that mental and psychiatric disorders are genuine, life-altering conditions that requires proper treatment. If you see someone who is socially awkward, be patient; converse with them like you would normally, and don’t call them out. If you hear someone making noises deemed socially abnormal, don’t avoid them and don’t be scared; the chances of them being ‘homicidal’ are astronomically low. If your children are afraid and judgemental towards someone obviously suffering from a mental disorder, sit them down and talk to them. Finally, perhaps the most important way we can all try and be willing participants in the struggle to end the discrimination is The stigma of mental health is especially pro- by not being judgemental. nounced among the Muslim population. I have seen people being told to “pray more” for O you who have believed, let not a people treating clinically diagnosed depression. And ridicule [another] people; perhaps they may be while spiritual practices such as praying have better than them; nor let women ridicule [other] been linked with aiding in a speedier recovery, women; perhaps they may be better than them. the idea of only praying for complete treatment And do not insult one another and do not call of a mental disorder is, in simple words, unreal- each other by [offensive] nicknames. Wretched is istically optimistic. That is akin to asking patients the name of disobedience after [one's] faith. And suffering from cancer to forgo chemotherapy whoever does not repent - then it is those who and rely solely on prayers for a full recovery. are the wrongdoers. Surah Al Hujurat (49:11) Photo by Thor Alvis on Unsplash

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Most of the societies’ governance lies in the management of wealth, economy, policies, boundaries, and education. Governance through educating the masses is one of the main tools to keep people disciplined and civilized. There are times when educational institutions are used as a brainwashing propaganda machine, but it is usually used to teach people a way to live happily, healthily, and respectfully with each other.

educate ourselves with authentic sources and then teach them unequivocally.

Muslims, men and women are obligated to gain knowledge through any or many means possible. Nevertheless, the debate is not about if we should study, but about what education is necessary for a human to survive in this world effectively. Through many centuries, education was outsourced to religious institutions, schools and extended families. Nevertheless the main source of education was always the parents and the family. We as a parent have many responsibilities and obligations with regards to our children — beyond putting decent food on table and putting clothes on their backs. Our main responsibility is to make our child a decent citizen and an astounding Muslim. For this, we need to

We are blessed to live in a place where we can educate our children without breaking our banks. Our masjids, imams, and learned folks help us to build our foundation of Islamic education. Even though most of our education base is covered by schools, still there are a lot of areas which as a society, we must cover ourselves. One of the areas of education that is lacking is sex education. When Muslim parents neglect this crucial education, the gap is filled by an incomplete and defective knowledge base (such as friends). This neglect is coming to haunt us badly — where grown up individuals don’t know the ba-

Photo by Ren Ran on Unsplash

Muslims for a long time were the pioneers of education. Books, libraries and universities were their passion. Scholarly debates and research were their bread and butter. It is a known fact that nations who have risen to power and remain in the histories as giants are those who made continuous efforts to educate their folks as a main part of their lives.

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sics of purifications of their body. This education is left to be taught by some individuals who themselves do not know right from wrong. For this reason, any individual can fall through cracks and thus, get harmed both physically and spiritually. Also, these tips are transferred from one generation to other without being critically analyzed, and aren’t necessarily authentic Islamic education. There are many aspects of education missing or broken from our society. Some of them are ignored and neglected while others filled by educating themselves from means which are unlawful and harmful.

Cleanliness, purification, and relationships are not a simple matter either, especially when there are other persons or families involved. Islam regulates teaching these matters since the early days of a child. A child must know how to clean himself after using the washroom. Later he must know how to take a bath by himself and know what and how cleaning is done.

As life goes on, he needs all the information necessary to take care of his body physically, mentally and spiritually. Like learning to wadhu, ghusl, knowledge of satr (minimum covering requirements) and later, how to be intimate. What are the rulings of halal and haram relationships and why? What are the things and processes they must go through as they age and or get married or have children of their own?

The burning question here is, who is go-

ing to open this pandora box? School does play its part but, it might not be in accordance to Quran and Sunnah. Islamic Schools also do there job to an extent but still they’re is a lot which is lacking from our societies. Again, who is going to teach these matters?

We as a parent have lot more responsibility than we think. Our child belongs to Allah first and they are given to us as a test.

When we hold the hand of the baby, whom we just gave birth to, or carry in our arms and safely bring them home, this test begins. The test is, what are we going to do with this sweet little bundle of joy? Are we going to educate him to be our future beneficiary, or to be Allah’s servant? Do we choose to make him or her successful with worldly possession and education, or make him into a righteous, pious citizen? Do we make him or her into someone who can only benefit himself, or the one those who is in beneficial to others at large? Do we raise them into a critical thinkers, or an arrogant or selfish people? These questions are critical, and we must think about it.

I have compiled a rough guideline below of what a child should know at an approximate age. Though each child is different, and each child grows at their own pace. I strongly recommend parents, to pay attention to the pace of your child’s physical, mental and spiritual development. Each (Continued on page 14)

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might need different knowledge at separate times of their lives, and two cannot be compared with each other. Also, keep in mind the curiosity level of the child, as each child is different.

Some may take the knowledge and run with it, while, some take it and process it further while others pick our brains until their curiosity is fully satisfied. For this we need to have a positive mind. We need to learn from authentic material to give best advice to our children. We need to be our child’s best friend. Our children should be comfortable with us that they can come and discuss with us, the most difficult and unusual things possible. Besides, we as their parents should be able to discuss issues with a fully intellectual perspective. Remember! These are necessary matters to teach. We should not be shy about it; instead be that parent who can confidently educate our child the tools necessary to live their lives with.

A Rough Guideline •

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By age 5: How to clean after using bathroom, wash hands before and after food, brush daily.

By age 7: Take a bath or shower, know how to clean, with help and start to learn to do wudu, and know what satr is.

By age 9: Know what is the fundamentals of ghusl, cutting of nails.

By age 12: What is ghusl and taharah and why it’s needed, managing of hair by keeping them groomed, clean and the removal unnecessary hairs.

By age 15: Know the difference between halal and haram relationship and difference of male and female friendships and their etiquettes with an understanding of the reasons for the difference.

By age 16: They should know the guidelines of intimate relationships, why it is a needed and important part of life, and what is haram and halal.

By 18: The child should know importance of responsibility, his or her role in this world, and have some tools and skills to lead his or her future life effectively.

There are many books available by Muslim authors. You can read them and educate your children. One is named is below: The Miracle of Life

by Fatima M. D'Oyen The Islamic Foundation United Kingdom 14

Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash 15

Book Review:

“Purification of the Heart”: Signs, Symptoms and Cures of the Spiritual Diseases of the Heart”, by Shaykh Hamza Yusuf Hanson, is a translation and commentary of the poetic treatise Matharat al-Qulub (literally, Purification of the Hearts) by Imam Muhammad Mawlud-al Ya’qubi.

Shaykh Hamza Yusuf is an American Islamic scholar who accepted Islam in 1977. Initially influenced heavily by Abdalqadir as-Sufi teachings, after spending time studying Shariah in the UAE under a number of Mauritanian scholars, Shaykh Hamza formally disassociated himself from as-Sufi’s teachings and towards more mainstream Islam.

Shaykh Mawlud was from Mauritania, West Africa, and a brilliant scholar who mastered all of the Islamic sciences, including the sciences of the heart. He is considered by many to be a mujaddid, or 'renewer of the faith.'

The book begins with a clear goal:

“Almost universally, religious traditions have stressed the importance of the condition of the heart. In the Muslim scripture, the Day of Judgment is described as a day in which neither wealth nor children shall be of any benefit [to anyone], except one who comes to God with a sound heart” (QURAN, 26:88-89).“

A sound heart. How can one achieve a sound heart? What are the barriers that come be(Continued on page 17)

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tween our hearts and purity? What can be done to purify ourselves of the diseases that plague our hearts? These are the questions that this book aims to address.

Chapter by chapter, he breaks down the diseases of the heart: miserliness, hatred, love of the world, envy, ostentation, false hope, fear of poverty, and so on. For

each disease, a definition is presented, causes, and a treatment for those looking to rid themselves of the disease.

The book is a wonder for those who are introspective, and are looking to, one-by-one, purify their hearts of the diseases that afflict their heart.

The book lays out the root of our heart’s diseases so openly and clearly that it becomes quite easy to identify the disease in oneself. Attaching oneself to the treatment, once the disease has been realized, can come only out of love for Allah SWT and desire to be closer to him in the hereafter.

References: The full book is freely available as a PDF here: http://www.data.nur.nu/Kutub/English/ Hamza-Yusuf_Purification-of-the-Heart.pdf. You can also listen to Sheikh Hamza Yusuf’s lecture as he presents his commentary on Matharat al-Qulub here: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=bp9KifxHZy8&list=PLNVqarhUYzInkISPRcMVFnUjnqFMFdpu6 Photo by Ashley Davis on Unsplash 17

By: Afshan Habib Prophet Dawood AS was a young man from the tribe of Judah, from the city of Bethlehem. This was the time in history, when prophet Samuel or Shamil made Talut or Saul the king of Bani Israel by Allah’s command.

Talut formed an army to fight the Philistines. Dawood AS’s elderly father had chosen three of his sons to join Saul's army. He had instructed the youngest one, Dawood AS, not to take part in the fighting but to help the army in other ways and to report to his father daily on what was happening on the war front. About 80,000 people from Bani Israel joined Talut’s army. Talut was a very intelligent man. He realized that he had a problem. When he inspected his army most of the people who had joined the army were not fit for fighting and were cowardly. The battle that was to be fought was in a very hot season. Talut knew there was very little discipline in his army, so he applied a test to find out who was competent and who was not.

The army had to cross a river to get to the enemy army. It is said that it could have been the Jordon river which they had to cross. So, Talut announced to his army that no one will drink from the river, when crossing the river.

The soldiers are allowed only a handful of water to drink from the river in an extreme

case. It was instructed that if anyone drinks more than that he would be thrown out from the army. When they crossed the river the bulk of the army drank lots of water from the river and disobeyed their leader. It is said that 76000 of them drank from the river.

People who could not control their thirst for a little while, could not be trusted to keep discipline in the face of the enemy. So as a result, most of the people were dismissed from the army.

After they crossed the river, Talut now had a real army of brave and disciplined people.

When they crossed the river, they found the enemy waiting for them. The Philistines were huge and powerful people and on the other side Talut had a small army. People in the army who had crossed the river and had patience and Emaan knew that if they remained steadfast and trusted in Allah SWT, they could overcome huge armies. The army of Talut made a dua`. They prayed, "Our Lord, bless us with fortitude, make firm our foothold and give us victory over the unbelieving host." There was one man among the Philistines who was strong and much powerful than the rest. His name was Jalut or Goliath.

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It is said that he was 10 feet tall. It was the custom in those days that the battle started with a one on one fight between its most powerful soldier and usually the morale of the army depended on who would win. At the start of the battle, Goliath arrogantly came out and challenge the opponents as to who will fight him?

Dawood AS was just an ordinary young man and who carried with him his sling-shot.

When he heard this challenge from Jalut, he went to Talut and asked his permission to fight against Jalut. Talut reluctantly agreed because Dawood AS appeared to him as a very young and inexperienced boy. The soldiers tried to put body armour on him but Dawood AS was so skinny, he could not carry it. Dawood AS refused all arms and armour and only took his sling shot with him and picked smooth pebbles on his way to face the enemy. When Jalut or Goliath came to attack him he simply put a pebble in his slingshot, aimed and shot straight at Goliath’s forehead. The stone entered Goliath‘s forehead and killed him instantly. Then quickly Dawood AS came forward and cut off Goliath’s head with Goliath’s own sword.

The Philistines were horrified. They got so scared to see this they fled the battlefield.

Talut’s army chased the Philistines and fought bravely and won the battle. Some of this narration is a Hebrew narration. Since they do not go against the Quran, so, we take it. One of the Israeli rawayat is that Talut married his daughter to Dawood AS after the victory over the Philistines.

With this event began Dawood AS’s rise to prominence; so much so, that after the death of Talut he was first elected king of Ju-

dah in Hebron, and then a few years later he was made king over all the tribes of Israel.

He took Jerusalem and made it the capital of the kingdom of Israel. It was under his leadership that for the first time in history a Godworshiping kingdom was established, whose boundaries extended from the Gulf of `Aqabah to the western banks of the River Euphrates.

Allah SWT had blessed Prophet David with countless favors. Dawood AS was a prophet, a king and a judge over his people. In addition to these favors, he was further graced with Divine bounties in the form of knowledge and wisdom, and the qualities of justice and mercy and devotion to the truth.

Allah says ‘We gave Dawood (AS) gifts’.

Among them was Tasbih. Mountains and Birds were told to engage in Tasbih with Dawood AS. Allah SWT says ‘We strengthened his kingdom and told the mountains and birds to come under him’. Creatures such as the plants, birds, beasts, and even the mountains responded to his voice glorifying Allah SWT. Allah had chosen Dawood AS to be a prophet and revealed the Psalms or Zaboor to him. As He the Almighty said: “And to Dawood We gave the Psalms” (17:55 Quran).

Dawood AS's sincerity was not the only factor responsible for the birds and beasts joining with him in glorifying Allah, nor was the sweetness of his voice. It was a miracle from Allah SWT. This was not his only miracle, for Allah SWT also endowed him with the faculty of understanding the languages of birds and animals.

(Continued on page 20)

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(Continued from page 19)

Dawood AS fasted every other day. Abdullah Ibn Amr Ibn Al-As narrated: Allah's Apostle SAW said to me: "The most beloved fasting to Allah was the fasting of the Prophet Dawood AS, who used to fast alternate days. And the most beloved prayer to Allah was the prayer of Dawood AS, who used to sleep the first half of the night, and pray for one third of it and again sleep for a sixth of it.'" (Sahih Al-Bukhari).

Allah SWT says he was a righteous man, a noble slave of Allah. He was a king as well as a prophet of Allah. Allah SWT had granted Dawood (AS) great influence. His people had a great number of wars in their time, but they had a problem in that the iron body armor they used was too heavy for the fighter to move and fight as he wished.

So, Allah SWT made metal soft for Dawood AS. One day Dawood AS was sitting with a piece of metal in his hand. He was thinking as to how he can design a better armour for his soldiers. The body armour his soldiers were using was very heavy and they couldn’t fight easily in a battle with its weight. Suddenly, the metal piece that Dawood AS was holding in his hands became so soft that his hand started sinking in it. Allah SWT informed Dawood AS that We have made metal soft for you, so you can make whatever you want from it.

Allah had made Dawood AS an expert in the use of iron and had especially taught him the art of an armourer for defence purposes. Dawood AS developed a certain type of armour which was very different from the type of armour being used in

those times. This armour was the best of the times and his soldiers used this armour in the battles and Allah SWT granted Dawood AS victory after victory. Allah SWT strengthened the dominion of Dawood AS and made him victorious. His kingdom was strong and great; his enemies feared him without engaging in war with him.

Prophet David was a just and righteous ruler who brought peace and prosperity to his people, and whom Allah SWT honored as a Messenger. He delivered Allah's message to the people through the precious gift of his melodious voice. When he recited the Psalms or Zaboor, it was as if the rest of creation chanted with him. People used to watch in amazement as if in a trance. In other places in the Quran Allah SWT mentions the stars and the trees also praised Dawood (AS). As humans we don’t know how the creatures and the mountains praise Allah SWT. This is from the unseen and it could be that they don’t know how humans praise Allah (SWT) with our tongues. The messages Dawood (AS) delivered are famous and well remembered.

They are known in the Bible as the Psalms or Songs of David.

Dawood (AS) divided his working day into four parts: one to earn a living and to rest, one to pray to his Lord, one to listen to the complaints of his people and judge between them, and the last part to deliver his sermons. He also appointed deputies to listen to his subjects' complaints so that in his absence people's problems might not be neglected. Allah SWT gave Dawood AS the gift of sound Judgement. So, Dawood (Continued on page 21)

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(Continued from page 20)

(AS) was at the same time a Judge, a King and a prophet.

Although a king, he did not live on the income of his kingdom. Being wellexperienced in the craft of weaponmaking, he made and sold weapons and lived on that income. Now it is important for us to make it clear that Hebrew scripture is foreign to us. If the Quran confirms what is in the Hebrew scripture we believe it and accept it. If the Quran rejects what the Hebrew scripture says we reject it. If there is something in the Hebrew scripture regarding matter of history, we don’t reject it or accept it. Sadly, most of the Israeli stories in the Hebrew scripture are blasphemous. We as Muslims should be very careful. A lot of Muslim scholars who have written different Tafseers of the Quran have been influenced by these Hebrew stories. Quran tells the Israelites that in a lot of things they themselves differ in their scripture. Quran always sets the record straight.

Let’s see what the Israeli version say about Dawood (AS). Firstly, the Torah and the Bible do not even accept Dawood (AS) and his son Sulaiman (AS) as prophets, but only as kings. Next, they say that David had 99 wives. They call him an adulterer and a murderer. Their version says that David saw a woman named Bathsheba from the balcony of his palace and he wanted to marry her. She was the wife of one of his generals. So, he purposely sent that general to the battle field and gave the general a position in the battle which was sure to get him killed. Eventually the general

got killed and David married Bathsheba.

In the Ayah’s of Surah Suad Allah (SWT) is correcting what the Bani Israel say about Dawood (AS). Allah asks Prophet Mohammed SAW that did the story of the two people come to you? Now Dawood (AS) used to pray in a Mehrab. This was a secluded place in his well guarded palace where nobody was allowed to come and disturb him whilst he was praying. One night while he was praying he saw people climb over the wall and come to him. He was shocked to see them. How could these people have entered the Mehrab when it was well guarded by his guards and was in the inner area of his palace. He was a bit worried and thrown off balance that maybe they had come to assassinate him. He was slightly frightened too as their arrival was very unexpected. The strange men told Dawood (AS) to not worry. They said we are here only to seek your judgement so don’t dismiss us or be biased in your judgement. We want you to judge with the truth and not be unfair or unjust in your judgement and guide us to the right way. One of them said pointing to the other that this is my brother. He has 99 sheep and I have only one sheep. We are partners. Now he wants my one sheep too for his flock to make it 100. He is intimidating me and bullying me to give my one sheep. Without listening to the other side, immediately Dawood (AS) said this is oppression. How can he do this to you?

Dawood (AS) said that it happens that people that are close together or are partners end up doing wrong with each other.

There are very few people left that are just (Continued on page 22)

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(Continued from page 21)

and conscious of Allah. Most partnerships bring trouble. Now as Dawood (AS) is saying these words and he looks around, the men have disappeared. Dawood (AS) at once realized that he is being tested by Allah SWT and those men were angels in human form. He at once fell into prostration. Allah wanted to test his judgement. A judge is meant to judge by seeing the evidence and listening to both sides and not to judge according to one’s emotions. Any adverse condition the judge is not allowed to judge.

Dawood (AS) realized that he was too quick to pass this judgement as he had sympathized with the weaker man rather than siding with the truth.

We are taught in the Shariah of Prophet Mohammed (SAW) whilst a judge is angry, he is not allowed to pass judgement and he must hold back his decision. If a judge is hungry or thirsty it is haram for him to judge. If he is emotional, again, not allowed to judge. This is the beauty of Allah’s rules. Judges are supposed to be the best of the people and nobody alPhoto by Tatyana Gavrilova on Unsplash

lowed to bribe them or influence them. We lose our sense of justice because the Shaytan comes over us. Only if we fear Allah then we will have the sense of justice.

After Dawood (AS) had sought forgiveness from Allah (SWT), Allah forgave Dawood (AS) and admonished him for his way of judgement and told him to be very careful next time. Then Allah (SWT) granted Dawood (AS) a good place, a successor on the earth. Allah (SWT) gave Dawood (AS) a gift, his son Sulaiman (AS), another great prophet.

Dawood (AS) was very possessive of his wives.

He had a castle where his wives lived, and this castle was surrounded by a wall all around it. No man was allowed inside the castle wall. One day his wives noticed a man standing in the courtyard inside the wall. At once Dawood (AS) was notified so this man can be dealt with. Dawood (AS) came and asked this man (Continued on page 23)

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(Continued from page 22)

as to how come he is standing here where no man is allowed. The man said I am the One whom no one can stop, whether you have a wall or not. Dawood (AS) at once recognized him as the angel of death. He welcomed the angel and said I am ready to go. At that time Dawood (AS) had so much wealth, so much power and authority and a huge kingdom. A lot of Allah’s creatures used to obey him, and he controlled the most powerful army of the time and now just like this he is ready to leave everything behind and ready to go. Here is a man so humble, so loved by his people and so powerful and ready to go. Prophet Dawood used to engage in so much ibadah.

Prophet Mohammed himself said, his

prayer was the best prayer and his fast was the best fast. He did not allow the Dunya to make him forget where he came from and where he was headed to. Then he told the angel to take his soul. The angel took his soul. It is reported that in his funeral tens of thousands of people came. The birds also came. It was a very hot day, so Sulaiman (AS) who became the next prophet and king told the birds to make a shade for the people. Just imagine thousands upon thousands of birds hovering over people to give them shade. This was the funeral of a great man, A very just judge, a powerful king and a great prophet.

Citation: From the lecture of Mufti Ismail Menk from Ibne Kathir.

Photo by Samuel Zeller on Unsplash

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Muslim Families Network Society or short for MFNS is an organization in Calgary which is tirelessly working to provide various means of support to Calgarians. This includes youth empowering programs, Programs to bridge gaps between cultures, leadership programs, learn and live Quran, and programs on social issues and food bank.

Tri-Annual Drive Other than the programs mentioned above, this organization continuously helps people with their weekly and tri-annual food and clothing drive. There are lot of Calgarians who need regular help in food, clothing and household items but with the influx of refuges this need had become more regular. Usually, it takes more than a year to get an immigrant onto their feet and it may take longer for those whose language skills needs improvement.

MFNS has more than 600 registered families who need help in one way or another. This also includes people who need permanent or temporary help. There is also continuous need to help single, poor or abused women and children, and MFNS makes sure to help to those too.

For food and clothing, they have 3 city wide food drives every year and their food bank serves 24

many families every week. Every year in Ramadan, they arrange an iftar for single women, where they raise funds for helping women in need. There is a need in the community to help people suffering from poverty or abuse.

This year like the past year their second annual Ramadan food drive happened on May 19t.h.

More than 400 families were served at the drive that day with basic food and clothing, books, household items and much more. Their next and 3rd outreach will be in November. You can visit their website to get more information about the organization.

Website: https://muslimfamilynetwork.org/ Address: Unit 1129, 3961 52 Ave NE, Calgary, AB T1J 0J7 Email: muslimfamilysociety@yahoo.com Phone: (403) 466-6367 Online: https://muslimfamilynetwork.org/contact/

Photo by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash

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Olives are a gift from heaven to humankind. Apart from the date fruit, olives are considered of utmost importance in Islam as not only are they a useful source of nutrition, but they also have usage in ‘Ruqyah’ or treatment.

Olives have been mentioned seven times in the Quran. This indicates the worth they hold.

• “By the fig and the olive and by the Mount Sinai…. verily We have created man in the best of stature” [Surah Tin 1-4] • “And He it is Who causes gardens to grow, both trellised and untrellised, and palm trees and crops of different (kinds of) food and olives and pomegranates….” [Surah al An'am 6:141].

As Luminescent: •

“Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of His Light is as (if there were) a niche and within it a lamp, the lamp is in glass, the glass as it were a brilliant star, lit from a blessed tree, an olive, neither of the east (i.e. it neither gets sun-rays only in the morning) nor of the west (i.e. nor does it get sun-rays only in the afternoon — but it is exposed to the sun all day long), whose oil would almost glow forth (of itself), though no fire touched it. Light upon Light! Allah guides to His Light whom He Wills. And Allah sets forth parables for humankind, and Allah is All-Knower of everything”. [Surah al-Noor 24:35].

As Blessings & Signs from Allah: •

“He causes to grow thereby the crops, olives, palm trees, grape vine… signs for people

•

who give thought” [Surah Nahl :11].

“And [We brought forth] a tree issuing from Mount Sinai which grows oil, and [it is a] rel(Continued on page 27)

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(Continued from page 26)

ish for those who eat” [Surah Muminoon: 20].

• “He sends down water from the sky from which We bring forth growth of every kind and from that We bring forth the green shoots and from them We bring forth close packed seeds and from that spathes of the date-palm, date clusters hanging down and gardens of grapes and olives and pomegranates, both similar and dissimilar, Look at their fruits as they bear fruit and ripen. There are signs in that for people who believe” [Surah Anam 6:99].

Thus, the olive tree not only has nutritional, medicinal, and cosmetic benefits but also serves a religious function as a sign of Allah (SWT). Prophet (SAW) consumed olives himself and recommended their use for various ailments. Abu Saeed said: The Prophet (SAW) said: “Eat the oil and use it on your hair and skin, for it comes from a blessed tree”. [Reported by AlTirmidhi].

Olive oil is a close companion of the liver in man as well as kidneys. It is also good for treating constipation. Olive oil contains a variety of vitamins, besides having phosphorus, sulphur, calcium, iron, potassium and manganese. Ointments made of olive oil and garlic are useful for some rheumatism ailments. The crystals of cholesterol in the gallbladder may be dissolved by a diet of olive oil.

It is narrated from Ali RA: “The house where vinegar and olive oil are used in the meal will not be in poverty, and this has been in the prophet’s meal”.

A tradition narrated from Imam Ali-ibn-Musa-ar-Riza says: “Olive oil is a healthy food stuff. It makes the smell of the mouth sweet, removes phlegm, makes the color of the face cheerful, strengthens the nerves, puts an end to sickness and weakness and quenches the fire of wrath”.

In conclusion, the olive has numerous benefits that merit its use in the diet especially its ability to lower cholesterol and “Improve the balance of fats in the blood” [Adams, 2001]. May Allah (SWT) bless us and our fellow Muslims with good health. Ameen.

References: • •

•

Olive health benefits according to Quran and Hadith by Rida Ghaffar. http://www.al-islam.org/enlightening-commentary-light-holy-quran-vol20/surah-tinchapter-95 [www.tibenabvi.pk/olives]

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•

Improves heart health

•

Weight loss

•

Cancer prevention

•

Decreasing pain

•

Improves skin

•

Reduces allergies

•

Improves hair health

•

Source of iron

•

Improves eye health

•

Helps detoxify body

•

Boosts bone health

•

Fights inflammation

•

Prevents blood clots

Reference:

www.tibenabvi.pk/olives 28

In every Muslim culture there are certain makes Ramadan fall in every month of the foods used for suhoor, (early breakfast be- year in around thirty-six years time. This fore fasting) whose nutritious value and sati- makes practically opening fast in summer at ability people swear by. Our editors too have 10:30 pm while eating early suhoor at 4 am. their own opinions about it. They also This leaves us vulnerable to an extremely jumped on the bandwagon and decided to long fast for which we need to be well nourcompare two food options. One of the op- ished for the whole day. Since days are long, tions is common breakfast staple among we must have nutritious food in suhoor and North American while other option is un- Iftar to continue the work of the day as well heard of as a breakfast.

Suhoor is the main meal of Ramadan, not only is it a sunnah, it has many

as into the night. Food also shouldn’t affect us negatively in that we feel drowsy for nightly prayers.

benefits other than filling

Bagel was an excel-

you up for the day. A

lent contender with

nutritious meal at

respect to other

the start of the day

breakfast options

can save you a lot

like

of dismay including

waffles,

being “Hangry”.

One of our editors swore by the filling and satiating ability of bagels while the other thinks there are other more filling options available and are convenient too.

paratha, pan-

cakes, bread and croissants for its ex-

cellent ability to fill our stomach and to not feel hungry or weak for a long time. Our editors swear by the fact that suhoor with bagels stays until noon, but others do not fully

As part of the North America we live in, we agree. For staying in the stomach for a long have to face long winter nights to long sum- time the victory goes to: “Haleem” which is a mer days. As Ramadan dates change by popular South-Asian dish. Haleem’s non(Continued on page 30) around ten days per year, this calculation 29

(Continued from page 29)

spicy Middle Eastern counterpart is “Mujadara” while its African counterpart is “Harira” and “Harees” a dish staple to Arab countries of the Persian Gulf as well as the Indian subcontinent. This dish provides a slow releasing mixture of complex carbohydrates, meat and spices, which stay for a long time in the body and provide energy throughout the day. This dish can be filling as is, but, if you like to add some bread or eggs or bagel or milk to the mix, you can easily do it. It is more filling, and keeps you going for a while and will not let hunger grip you until iftar.

This is a Haleem recipe shared to me by my friend Nayyer. Try this recipe next Ramadan or if you’re doing Nafl fasts and keep us in your duas.

Haleem Recipe •

Meat 1.5 kg boneless

•

Yogurt 2 cups

•

Qorma masala

•

Extra spices: Salt, to taste, red chilli pepper, 1-

2 tsp, turmeric

1tsp, garlic ginger paste 4tbsp •

Barley whole ½ cup

•

Whole wheat ½ cup

•

Lentils: Maash 2 tbsp, Moong 2 tbsp, Masoor 2 tbsp

•

Rice 2 tbsp

•

Oats 2 tbsp (Continued on page 31)

Photo by Miti on Unsplash

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Method: •

Wash all the lentils and soak it overnight

•

Cook it with 3 times more water than lentils

•

When cook thoroughly blend it with hand blender

•

Cook meat with qorma masala recipe adding some of your spices , until tender enough to fall of a bone

•

Blend meat with hand blender

•

Mix meat and lentils together blend it again

•

Cook it for 2 ½ hours

•

If Haleem is not thick enough add some rolled oats and cook it further until desired consistency has reached

•

Serve it with chopped cilantro, chopped green chillies, , chaat masala and julienned ginger.

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August 17 , 2018 Me: Hey, mum, how’s itMum: Sorry, can’t talk, gotta go to Nadia’s dholki.

Me: *sad* oh okay... th

By: Ahsan Ayub

For those who don’t know what dholkis are, worry not, I don’t know exactly what they are either. From what I understand, to celebrate a shaadi (wedding) aunties and the girls get together, play drums, and sing songs in what I feel could very accurately be described as a “desi jam session”.

September 8 , 2018 Me: Salam, Ammi. What’s for dinMum: Sorry, can’t talk. Gotta go to Nadia’s dholki.

Me: *déjà vu* Weird… th

But what dholkis are isn’t the real question here; the real mystery is why there need to be oh-so-many of them. And if, at any point while reading this, you thought I was going to answer that… boy were you wrong! The truth is, there is no answer. I’ve asked my mother to explain to me why she has to attend, on average, 5-8 dholkis per shaadi (over a span of a few months), and it’s the same answer every time: because all the aunties want to celebrate the wedding. If you think about this answer for a second, you’ll realize that that isn’t an answer. It would have remained the exact same if she’d stopped at “because”.

September 24 , 2018 Me: Ammi! Let’s go for the movies!

Mum: Sorry, can’t tonight. Gotta go to Nadia’s dholki. th

(Continued on page 33)

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Me: *thinking there’s many Nadias. It’s got to be a different Nadia…* Wow! So many Nadia’s getting married MashaAllah.

Mum: Oh no, it’s the same Nadia. But a different auntie is doing the dholki tonight.

Me: I have absolutely nothing against the concept of dholkis. I’m not going to lie, dholkis sound super fun: a bunch of friends getting together, singing, talking, and having a great time. But what I do find a bit strange is the same group of friends getting together, singing the same songs, playing the same drum, and celebrating the same shaadi 7 times. And it’s not just dholkis; the “organizers” have to have a planning meeting before each dholki. If you’re keeping up with the numbers so far, that’s at least 5 dholkis + 5 planning meetings = 10 nights of doing the same things with the same people. What happens in those meetings is anyone’s guess.

November 3 , 2018 Me: Can you pick me up from the station at 7 tonight?

Mum: Sorry, can’t. Gotta go to a dholki.

Me: *Don’t say Nadia... Don’t say Nadia... Don’t say Nadia.* Whose?

Mum: …Nadia. rd

What I’m trying to say is, would it not be more feasible to have just one or two large-scale dholkis where the whole roster of guests was invited and whoever wants to, could chip in?

From what I’ve been told, dholkis are elaborately planned events with fancy food, fancy clothes, fancy decorations, etc etc. This magnitude of planning would not only be expensive, isn’t it also very time-consuming and exhausting?

December 2 , 2018 Me: …IMum: Sorry going to Nadia’s dholki. nd

I am writing this in the last week of May, and to this day, my mother is attending Nadia’s dholkis.

May Allah bless my mom, her friends, Nadia, and her family with sabr and healthy vocal cords. Aameen!

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Our articles reflect our own limited words, and limited thoughts. But as Tariq reported: Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “Verily, the best speech is the book of Allah, and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him.” (Sahiḥ al-Bukhārī 5747) So, in honour of this Hadith, and in honour of this blessed month of the Qur’an in which this article was written, this article reflects on passages of the Qur’an and what they tell us about patience, hope, and struggle. My hope is that the verses will have as strong an impact on your heart as they have had on our hearts. May Allah rectify our affairs.

Trial And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient, Who, when disaster strikes them, say, ‘Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return?’

Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is those who are the [rightly] guided. (Qur’an, 2:155-157) Do the people think that they will be left to say, "We believe" and they will not be tried? (Qur’an, 29:2) And We will surely test you until We make evident those who strive among you [for the cause of Allah] and the patient, and We will test your affairs. (Qur’an, 47:31)

Struggle I swear by this city, Makkah And you, [O Muhammad], are free of restriction in this city And [by] the father and that which was born [of him], We have certainly created man into hardship.

(Continued on page 35)

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(Continued from page 34)

Does he think that never will anyone overcome him?

He says, ‘I have spent wealth in abundance.’

Does he think that no one has seen him?

Have We not made for him two eyes?

And a tongue and two lips?

And have shown him the two ways?

But he has not broken through the difficult pass.

And what can make you know what is [breaking through] the difficult pass?

It is the freeing of a slave Or feeding on a day of severe hunger An orphan of near relationship Or a needy person in misery And then being among those who believed and advised one another to patience and advised one another to compassion.

Those are the companions of the right.

But they who disbelieved in Our signs - those are the companions of the left.

Over them will be fire closed in. (Qur’an, 90)

Despair Satan threatens you with poverty and orders you to immorality, while Allah promises you forgiveness from Him and bounty. And Allah is allEncompassing and Knowing. (Qur’an, 2:268) Say, ‘O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins.

Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.’ (Qur’an, 39:53) And if We give man a taste of mercy from Us and then We withdraw it from him, indeed, he is despairing and ungrateful.

But if We give him a taste of favor after hardship has touched him, he will surely say, ‘Bad times have left me.’ Indeed, he is exultant and boastful (Continued on page 36)

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(Continued from page 35)

Except those who show patience and do righteous virtuous deeds, those: theirs will be forgiveness and a great reward (Paradise).” (Qur’an, 11:9-11)

The Wise Advice Is one who is devoutly obedient during periods of the night, prostrating and standing [in prayer], fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord, [like one who does not]? Say, ‘Are those who know equal to those who do not know?’ Only they will remember [who are] people of understanding. (Qur’an, 39:9) Said Moses to his people: ‘Pray for help from Allah, and (wait) in patience and constancy: for the earth is Allah's, to give as a heritage to such of His servants as He pleaseth; and the end is (best) for the righteous. (Qur’an, 7:128) Say, "O My servants who have believed, fear your Lord. For those who do good in this world is good, and the earth of Allah is spacious. Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without account." (Qur’an, 39:10) And seek help through patience and prayer, and indeed, it is difficult except for the humbly submissive [to Allah]. (Qur’an, 2:45) O you who have believed, seek help through patience and prayer.

Indeed, Allah is with the patient. (Qur’an, 2:153)

A Beautiful Patience [Jacob] said, ‘Rather, your souls have enticed you to something, so patience is most fitting. Allah will bring them to me all together. Indeed, it is He who is the Knowing, the Wise.’

And he turned away from them and said, ‘Oh, my sorrow over Joseph,’ and his eyes became white from grief, for he was [of that] a suppressor.

They said, ‘By Allah, you will not cease remembering Joseph until (Continued on page 37)

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(Continued from page 36)

you become fatally ill or become of those who perish.

He said, ‘I only complain of my suffering and my grief to Allah, and I know from Allah that O my sons, go and find out about Joseph and his brother and despair not of relief from Allah. Indeed, no one despairs of relief from Allah except the disbelieving people.’

So, when they entered upon Joseph, they said, ‘O 'Azeez, adversity has touched us and our family, and we have come with goods poor in quality, but give us full measure and be charitable to us. Indeed, Allah rewards the charitable.’

He said, ‘Do you know what you did with Joseph and his brother when you were ignorant?’

They said, ‘Are you indeed Joseph?’ He said ‘I am Joseph, and this is my brother. Allah has certainly favored us. Indeed, he who fears Allah and is patient, then indeed, Allah does not allow to be lost the reward of those who do good.’

They said, ‘By Allah, certainly has Allah preferred you over us, and indeed, we have been sinners.’

He said, "No blame will there be upon you today. Allah will forgive you; and He is the most merciful of the merciful." (Qur’an, 12:8392)

Hope He has certainly succeeded who purifies himself And mentions the name of his Lord and prays.

But you prefer the worldly life, While the Hereafter is better and more enduring.

(Qur’an, 87:14-17) And when you look there [in Paradise], you will see pleasure and great dominion.

(Continued on page 38)

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(Continued from page 37)

Upon the inhabitants will be green garments of fine silk and brocade. And they will be adorned with bracelets of silver, and their Lord will give them a purifying drink.

[And it will be said], ‘Indeed, this is for you a reward, and your effort has been appreciated.’

(Qur’an, 76:20-22) ‘Salamun 'Alaikum (peace be upon you) for that you persevered in patience! Excellent indeed is the final home!’ (Qur’an, 13:24) Is the reward for good [anything] but good? (Qur’an, 55:60)

Du’a’ Our Lord pour upon us patience and plant firmly our feet and give us victory over the disbelieving people. (From 2:250) Our Lord pour upon us patience and let us die as Muslims [in submission to You]. (From 7:126)

Further Reading: The Qur’an is ripe with mention and stories of hope, despair, struggle, and perseverance. And it is also full of wisdom and is a guide for those looking for guidance. I would encourage all those who are struggling to do this: Download a Qur’an app, and read one verse with translation every day - either before bed, or after Fajr salah. It is my hope that this practice will bring you closer to the verses of Allah (SWT) and help guide you with hope through your times of struggle.

References: Qur’an Apps My preferred app is “Quran for Android” by quran.com: https:// play.google.com/store/apps/details? id=com.quran.labs.androidquran (Continued on page 39)

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(Continued from page 38)

The Apple equivalent is called “Quran - by Quran.com - :”‫قرآن‬ https://www.apple.com/ca/search/quran?src=globalnav Qur’an on the Web The translations presented here largely rely on Sahih International, as presented on https://quran.com.

For those looking to listen to recitation, http://tanzil.net is an amazing resource.

Tafsir The commentary that was referenced while drafting this article is an English Translation of the Urdu work by Sayyid Abul A’la Mawdudi in Tafhim al-Quran, translated into by Zafar Ishaq Ansari and titled “Towards Understand the Qur’an”, as published

by The Islamic Foundation. It has also been digitized, and is available here: https://www.islamicstudies.info/tafheem.php

Other Islamic Resources From children’s books to hadith, tafsir, and translations and summaries of great Islamic works, Kube publishing makes free and publicly available a great and large resource of books here: https://issuu.com/kube_publishing. Read on and share with others.

You can also order physical versions of books via their website: http://www.kubepublishing.com/ The prices are in British pounds but can be paid for in Canadian dollars. Shipping costs will make it ideal to order a larger collection at once - so talk to your friends, and order together.

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Photograph By: Annie Spratt

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