Your Issues Your Voice
Photo by Paweł Czerwiński on Unsplash
Spring 2020
Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash 22
3
3
Editorial ········································· 2 Contact Us, Like & Subscribe ····················· 7 Speak For the Earth Before It Speaks About You ·· 8 Book Review: A Story of Malcom X ··············· 14 Artists of 2019 ·································· 16 Let’s Talk ········································ 20
Chronic Illness: A Different Perspective ··········· 24 Ramadan In A Glimpse ··························· 30 Back Cover ······································ 32
4
4
Shaista Khurshid
Afshan Habib Rabia Khan Beenish Khurshid
Ayesha Nasir Zainab Wasey
Beenish Khurshid
Shaista Khurshid Photo by Sidney M. on Unsplash 5
5
Submissions, Comments and Advertising: Email: northwestmuslim@gmail.com Online: issuu.com/northwestmuslim Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NorthWestMuslim-Magazine
6
6
Contact Us, Like & Subscribe
Subscribe: Subscribe to us to receive our Quarterly Magazine in your inbox.:
Like Us: Like us or follow us on Facebook to get notifications.
Photo by 五玄土 ORIENTO on Unsplash 7
Photo by Nick Perez on Unsplash 8 8
By: Ayesha Nasir, Toronto, Ontario
A
nd it is He who subjected the sea for you to eat from it tender meat and to extract from it ornaments which you wear. And you see the ships plowing through it, and [He subjected it] that you may seek of His bounty; and perhaps you will be grateful. (AnNahl 16:14) In the early 2000s, I went to the beach with my school classmates and teachers. This was not a very typical field trip. We were on assignment to help clean up the beach. There had been a recent oil spill in the Arabian Sea and dead sea creatures had washed ashore in Karachi, their bodies slick with an oil that had suffocated them. In 2016, empty shells lined that same beach and I failed to understand why. A friend wrote to me talking about how rising temperatures were killing the creatures who had lived inside these shells. She wrote about the impact of oil spills, pollutants being dumped into the sea, and the inevitable death of the living beings that calls these waters home. I have not seen that beach in years. But this is not about one beach. It is about the World (dunya) as we know it and will know in (Continued on page 10)
9
9
and acting on climate change amongst members of the community. His point, summed up, was that people see the deteriorating environment as a decree of Allah and hence there is no point resisting it. Some even go as far to say that Allah is punishing us for our wrongdoings. What’s something we’re all taught about Divine punishment? You can’t avoid it. Not if you’re a king or the son of a prophet. The argument is an interesting one. But when placed in the context of multiple ayah and ahadith where Allah and the Messenger of Allah stress on the land being a means of mercy, the argument is not very convincing. To allow the active and ongoing abuse of the earth to go on is just another of the many instances where we misunderstand and misuse religious teachings. Our Prophet Muhammad صیل ہللا علیہ وسملtook
(Continued from page 9)
the years to come. When Allah mentions how He “subjected the sea” to us (Al Jasiyah 45:12), why do we take that as a challenge upon ourselves to harm the sea and the world it is so carefully placed in? Most Muslims I talk to, care deeply about the environment because the cultures they were raised in taught them that they receive nourishment and sustenance from this world. In an age of modern conveniences when take-outs and bulk shopping prevents us from truly digging our fingers deep into the soil, we still have many examples of environmentalism in our Muslim communities. Recycling is a household phenomena even if we are not aware of it. The joke on the internet about blue tin boxes has some truth in it - instead of cookies, we find buttons and sewing kits because the women in our community know the value of a sturdy tin-box that can be repurposed. But beyond individual and communal examples, there is a growing need to push corporations and governments to step up in this fight to be environmentally friendly and make climate change a factor to account for in decision-making. I think back to a comment made by a representative of Pakistan’s Ministry of Climate Change in 2016. He spoke to a journalism class on the wariness of reporting Photo by Fezbot2000 on Unsplash
measures to ensure that any form of living creature was not unjustly harmed. He encouraged us to plant seeds and think of it as a sadaqah-al-jariya. He asked us to do so even if the Hour was upon us. Modern warfare scorches the earth and some of the most powerful weapons of our time even breaks the smallest cell known to mankind. Nuclear warfare is kept as a deterrent and militaries and the governments they protect swear that they shall (Continued on page 11)
10 10
We need to learn more about the impact a hyper-consumer culture has, seek never use it unless provoked. But our forgiveness and protection in Allah from Prophet (peace be upon him) urged the ar- being amongst the wasteful, and look for mies he led to not uproot, burn, or cut guidance in the teachings of the Prophet صیل down trees. He honored the earth even in ہللا علیہ وسملin building a just society. the most difficult instances of survival. He instructed his army not to ruin fields, gar- “It is He who enables you to travel on the dens, plantations and farms. land and sea until, when you are sailing on There is a thoughtless cruelty to de- ships and rejoicing in the favoring wind, a stroying the sustenance of communities. storm arrives: waves come at those on board That’s why the fight for environmental jus- from all sides and they feel there is no estice is led largely by poor communities, cape. Then they pray to God, professing sincommunities of color and Indigenous peo- cere devotion to Him, ‘If You save us from ples. They have been most impacted by the this we shall be truly thankful.’” (Yunus large-scale activities of corporations that 10:22) care more for growth of their capital than community. And yet, our Prophetic tradiOf course, the earth is meant to be a tion is one rooted in communities - where beautiful testing ground for all of us so that we are taught to respect not just human life our response to it is recorded and rewardbut also the lives of animals. Quenching ed by Allah. But does that mean that the their thirst and looking after their needs trees we sit underneath, the land we tread are acts of sincerity that Allah loves. upon, and the sky we gaze at are all merely As fire impacts our communities in decorative? Does that mean that because the form of wildfires in Fort McMurray, Al- one day the mountains will blow away like berta and bushfires in Canberra, Australia, cotton wool, we should ignore the harm we need to think about how this need to we’re causing the mountains and the comcare for people is not just a matter of ex- munities that live in them? These beings tending our quality of life on earth. Rather, we share the world with may be silent now. it is also about protecting the most vulner- But have we really forgotten that there will able and systematically disenfranchised be a Day when this land will testify for or amongst us. Our small and consistent con- against us? tributions of reducing our family’s carbon footprint do count but they are not enough. (Continued from page 10)
11 11
Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash 12
12
13
13
Book Review: Malcom X The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As told to Alex Haley Rags to riches usually brings to mind stories of people who rise from the poverty of the ghetto and rises to affluence and great wealth through sheer perseverance and grit. Well the Autobiography of Malcolm X as dictated to Alex Haley provides a rags to riches story of another kind - of a man who rises from the depths of depravity from the deepest guts of the ghetto to a great moral force that brought hundreds of thousands towards the discipline and purity of the religion of Islam in a land that has not yet heard of even the existence of such a religion - through introspection, perseverance, and sheer grit.
By: Beenish Khurshid Malcolm X was an American Civil Rights Revolutionary leader in Montreal, Quebec the 1950 and 1960s. While most Black rights advocates such as Martin Luther King Jr. took the stance of non-violence, Malcolm advocated for a more assertive and revolutionary way of thinking - advocating for the average black man to recognize his history, and to stand up and demand his rights. He was assassination on February 21, 1965, in New York City, New York, U.S. The rise of Islam in America's African population can in large part be attributed to Malcolm and his preaching. May God rest his soul in peace. “They put your mind right in a bag, and take it wherever they want.” — Malcolm X “We didn’t land on Plymouth Rock, Plymouth Rock landed on us.”
14
14
— Malcolm X “Concerning nonviolence, it is criminal to teach a man not to defend himself when he is the constant victim of brutal attacks.” — Malcolm X Malcolm X’s story has been a truly inspirational read, for many reasons. For one, it provides honest insight into the nature of the basic human being. For another it provides perspective into the nature of “the white man” as he calls it: the nature of political dynamic, and systems of power, control, and oppression. Most consciously, his writing reflects the nature of destiny, and his biography is written as his own story is unfolding. I will not be remiss if I call Malcolm X's biography the single most inspiring and mind-altering book I have read of the modern age. It has shifted my perspective on how I see people of African descent. I see now a new light to media, political discourse, and propaganda. And I see poverty, drug-addiction, and homelessness in a completely new, refreshing, honest and fact based light. But most importantly, Malcolm X's biography has taught me the power of courage. To speak truth to power. And what a true Muslim man's character should embody. Not much has changed in the modus operandi of the powers that be since the time of Malcolm. What has changed is that those with courage have been put out (assassinated). This book, while not written to do so, inspires all to the way of truth seeking (knowledge through reading books), then apply that truth to deconstruct the narratives we are being taught, and then preach this deconstruction to all that will listen. Malcolm X should be a mandatory read for all Muslim, and AfricanAmerican, youth. Age appropriate for the teenage years, Malcolm will do wonders showing your men the paths of life and the courage to be a man.
Photo by Mike Tinnion on Unsplash
15 15
16
16
By: Beenish Khurshid Montreal, Quebec
W
hen in the car, on the bus, doing homework, when bored or reading a book, tell me what you hear? Most of us hear the sound of music. Music gives people a chance to break out of our monotonous routines, and boredom and experience emotions. A diversity of sounds. Something to make the blood pump, the heart feel, and the souls to feel alive. But the traditional scholars of old, both Sunni and Shia, have always considered Music as categorically haram. “Soon there will be people from my Ummah who will regard adultery, wearing silk garments, wine and musical instruments as lawful…’ (Sahih Bukhari -Ta’liqan, بصيغة الجزمHadith: 5590, Sahih Ibn Hibban; Al Ihsan, Hadith: 6754 and As Sunanul Kubra of Imam Bayhaqi, vol. 10 pg. 221) And there are many other hadiths like this that make it clear that Rasulullah صیل ہللا علیہ وسمل
considered music, specifically in the form of musical instruments, or even music-less poetry in the form of speech that invites evil or misleads in some way, as a bad thing. So how then do we reconcile ourselves to the dry monotonous car rides, and to the boredom of our everyday lives? Having taking the trip from cultured to a music-free lifestyle, here are a few tips: (Continued on page 18)
Photo by Pierre Châtel-Innocenti on Unsplash 17
17
(Continued from page 17)
•
Music is like an addiction. You won’t realize this until you start going without and feeling the pangs. The best way to cut it is to cut it clean, but before you do, you have to prepare yourself mentally for what it is you are doing, and why.
•
Realize that when Allah SWT recommends something for you, it is always better for you. There is barakah in it, and Allah SWT will reward you for taking this higher road.
•
Take a look at the other sins on the list: adultery, wearing silk garments, wine. The harm in most of these is fairly evident and obvious. And while we may not have a clear understanding of why God is forbidding us from musical instruments, know that this is God’s wisdom, and mercy upon His believing servants.
•
Busy your heart with the remembrance, consciousness, and genuine gratitude of Allah SWT. This is not something that is fostered easily, by saying “I am thankful to Allah”, but something that is cultivated from within. God is Great.
•
When you give something up, don’t look back. Going back and forth, and straddling the two worlds confuses the Heart, and is one of the causes of hypocrisy. Give it up because you feel it is wrong. Give it up because Allah dislikes it. Give it up, and walk away.
•
Move on to better things. Read books on your rides to and from. Start a conversation with someone you haven’t chatted with in a while. Read Qur’an. Memorize a part of it. Think through a personal problem you are having, and ask Allah SWT for guidance. All things that your time, your mind, and your hearts energies can be better devoted towards.
•
For those who find it difficult to cut clean, below is a list of acapella artists: artists who use beat-boxing and other techniques to produce sounds only with their mouths and hands. The artists listed also only produce material that invites one to the way of Allah SWT. Please, take a look, and supplement your playlist, or replace it completely with the wide diversity of halal listening options out there.
Jazakallah khair. (Continued on page 19)
18
(Continued from page 18)
Note: we are not writing this article to encourage those who do not listen to music at all to start. Silence is golden, and the Qur’an is the best sound. But the aim of the article is to provide those who are struggling with the idea that music may be haram an alternative, to pull each other closer to the path of Allah SWT. For another perspective on the permissibility of Music, watch this: https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1dafblZJec
If you are looking for alternative content, below are a few recommendations to get you started. Once you have entered the realm, you'll find that there is a very large realm of music-free content out there.
Netflix Shows
Podcasts
Who killed Malcolm X?
Acapella Islamic-Content (Nasheed) Artists
Spoken Word Artists
Talk Islam (see Youtube)
Boona Mohammed
Duff-Only Islamic Content (Nasheed) Artists
Zain Bhika
Native Deen
Honest Tea Talk
19
David Wharnshby Ali (earlier children songs)
Ilyas Mao
Siedd
Rhamzan Days
Nadeem Mohammed
Omar Esa
By: Shaista Khurshid Calgary, Alberta
20
20
Ph
T
here are a lot of people we know, meet or see in our lives who have opinions about other people. They discuss about other people's lives and persons. About what they do and how they do it. And about how, what they do, is wrong. They keep tabs on other people’s mistakes diligently. They do not spare any moment to shed their opinions, whether in front of people or behind their backs. What is the reason and why do we do this? Why do we harbor opinions about others? Is it jealousy or self-righteousness? Self-centeredness or insecurity? Or is it a combination of all of these?
At some level, we probably think that we are somehow, better, smarter, better looking, wiser, more generous and more giving than other people. Therefore, it’s our job to state what we don’t like about others, whether it makes any sense or not. Whether it hurts others or not, whether it causes other evils in the society or not. In my opinion, when we compare ourselves to other people, it makes us anxious. There are two problems with this attitude. If we compare ourselves to others whom we find more competent than us, this will increase our jealousy. But if we discover others lesser than us, it inflates our
hoto by Skyla Design on Unsplash
(Continued on page 22)
21 21
ment and diversion and adornment and boasting to one another and competition in increase of wealth and children - like the example of a rain whose [resulting] plant growth pleases the tillers; then it dries, and you see it turned yellow; then it becomes [scattered] debris. And in the Hereafter is severe punishment and forgiveness from Allah and approval. And what is the worldly life except the enjoyment of delusion. (57:20)
(Continued from page 21)
egos which sooner or later makes us pompous. This attitude of comparison keeps us on our toes because anytime we compare, we’re at odds of 50 - 50. This means whether one scenario or another, we are going to lose.
The question is why do we compare ourselves to others? Do we feel we must have a position in this world because we felt left out? Do we feel extremely insignificant in this vast world? Or is it that we Moreover there is another way of bewant to capture the attention, happiness, having; it’s contentment. Contentment is and statuses of all for us alone and feel bet- when we feel completely at peace and satter about ourselves? isfied with what we possess and our destinies. When we are content, we are unconAllah (SAW) informs us in the Quran cerned about what others have, thus reabout this viewpoint. Allah warns us about lieving us from jealousy or arrogance. It our attitudes towards the life of this world. keeps us grounded because we focus on He provides the example that, our life, what matters and what we can gain lawfulwealth, children and whatever we compare ly. In this way we enjoy our every bite, evewith each other is like a plant which is ry morsel and everything we have. This green one day and becomes yellow then way we appreciate everything, including dies and disintegrates. So much so, by next the people around us and be thankful to year we cannot see any sign of that plant. the one, our Provider, our Allah. We develJust like that life of this world is a delusion op empathy, as we engage in conscious efthat it will finish and there would be nothforts to relieve the sufferings of people in ing left. despair.
ِاعْل َ ُموا َأن َّ َما الْ َح َیا ُة ادلُّ نْ َیا لَ ِع ٌب َولَهْ ٌو َو ِزينَ ٌة َوت َ َفاخ ٌُر بَيْنَ ُ ُْك َوتَ ََكث ٌُر ِِف ْ َاْل ْم َوال ون The same concept can be applied to reliُ َو ْ َاْل ْو ََل ِد ۖ ََكَث َلِ غَ ْی ٍث َأ ْ َْع َب الْ ُك َّف َار ن َ َباتُ ُه ُ َُّث َيَ ُِیج فَ َ ََتا ُه ُم ْص َف ًّرا ُ َُّث يَ ُك ْ ْ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ آ اب شَ دي ٌد َو َم ْغف َر ٌة م َن َّاَّلل َو ِرضْ َو ٌان ۚ َو َما ال َح َیا ُة ادلُّ نْ َیا ٌ ُح َطا ًما ۖ َو ِِف اْلخ َرة عَ َذgious comparison. Often our gossip, judge ا ََّل َمتَا ُع الْغ ُُر ِورments of others, and race is about another ِ Know the life of this world is but amuse-
22
(Continued on page 23)
22
(Continued from page 22)
person’s character or actions as they fit into Islamic rules and recommendations. What if we trust that each of us is unique, and we all have various exceptional ways to make Allah satisfied with us? We are blessed with skills and capabilities that can distinctively shape the world for better. We have faith that Allah doesn’t burden our souls and He only gives the tests which are exclusively ours and which we can handle. We must be content in understanding that, Allah is the Most Merciful, and he will judge our deeds in the context of the diffi-
culties and eases of our life and person. And that Allah س بحان وتعاىلknows us best, and knows others and their deeds and their challenges best. Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allah. س بحان وتعاىل Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured." (13:28) In effect, this is the contentment with Allah So how can this world change from arrogance and jealousy to empathy and thankfulness? Only if we swap our attitudes from comparison to contentment.
So how can this world change from Arrogance and Jealousy to Empathy and Thankfulness?
Only if we swap our attitudes from Comparison to Contentment.
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash 23 23
Photo by Pierre Châtel-Innocenti on Unsplash 24 24
By: Zainab Wasay,
Karachi, Pakistan
I
Names has been changed o protect the privacy of the person whose story we are about to relate
t is said, just as health is a blessing, illness too is a blessing – in fact many times the latter may be a greater blessing. My dear friend Nafeesa shares her experiences
as she found Epilepsy to be one of Allah’s greatest gifts for her. From the age of twelve to twenty Nafeesa suffered about thirty seizures, although some of them were years apart. From immense psychological pain to five shoulder dislocations, head injuries and countless cuts and bruises, her illness was never easy for her. But Nafeesa decided from day one that she would bear everything with a positive perspective since according to hadith a believer is always in a win-win situation. The Prophet صیل ہللا علیہ وسمل said: Amazing is the affair of the believer as there is good for him in every matter, and this is not the case with anyone except the believer. If he experiences pleasure, he thanks Allah and it is good for him. If harm befalls him, he is patient and it is good for him. (Sahih Muslim)
(Continued on page 26)
25
25
(Continued from page 25)
Thus, one of the first things Nafeesa learnt from Epilepsy was humility. When Nafeesa first began having seizures she never encountered any physical pain. But when the seizure would begin, she’d be conscious for a few moments and watch helplessly as her arms would be twisting and jerking uncontrollably. The psychological pain she would feel then was much worse than physical pain. One day her mother said to her, “Nafeesa, maybe Allah is trying to tell you something by showing you how helpless we as humans really are.” Nafeesa pondered over her mother’s words as she realized that she did need to improve her attitude regarding certain things and so she started changing herself. A few months later many people said to her that she had become a much softer and more easy-going person as compared to how she was before.
Nafeesa’s main strength was her connection with Allah and the Qur’an and Sunnah. Since Allah is Al-Hayy, the Ever-Living, the Qur’an too is an immortal book – any person in any age can relate to any of its verses.
Photo by
Once, after waking up from a seizure, she was lying in bed and crying to herself. It’s worth mentioning that until the age of sixteen, Nafeesa never cried once over her illness. Mostly because she believed it was Allah’s will for her, which was no doubt bet-
ter for her. But also, because she hadn’t fully comprehended how her illness could affect her life as well as others. This time she was feeling terribly guilty because there had been no negligence on her behalf but because of her everyone would get so worried. She opened the Qur’an in search of solace and the first words that caught her eye were: … , and He sends His thunderbolts to strike anyone He pleases, ... (13:13) (Continued on page 27)
26 26
(Continued from page 26)
After reading these words, she felt much calmer and a lot less guilty as she realized that it wasn’t her fault, but Allah’s will for her, which is no doubt above all flaws. Then as she continued reading, she couldn’t help but smile: And those who are patient, seeking the countenance of their Lord, and establish prayer and spend from what We have provided for them secretly and publicly and prevent evil with good - those will have the good consequence of [this] home - (13:22) Once, during a class of Sahih Muslim, Nafeesa read the Hadith about the Ethiopian woman who had Epilepsy. The Hadith goes that Ibn Abbas once said to his student, “Should I show you a woman of Paradise?” He replied, “Of course.” Ibn Abbas said, “This black woman came to the Prophet صیل ہللا علیہ وسمل and said, ‘I suffer epileptic seizures and my body uncovers; please pray to Allah for me.’ The Prophet صیل ہللا علیہ وسملsaid, ‘If you wish, you can be patient, and you will earn Paradise (in return). And if you wish, I will invoke Allah to cure you.’ She replied, ‘Rather I will remain patient,’ and added, ‘but I become uncovered, so please invoke Allah for me that I remain covered.’” Thus, he prayed for her after which her body would not uncover during seizures.” (Sahih Muslim). Though Nafeesa had read this Hadith before, this
y Evie S. on Unsplash
time she was overjoyed when she read it with Imam Nawawi’s explanation. He wrote that this Hadith tells us that seizures carry immense reward
since Muhammad صیل ہللا علیہ وسملpromised Jannah to the woman who suffered them.
Before reading this Hadith Nafeesa had read the Hadith of the people who made two migrations and how Abu-Musa-Ash’ari and his companions رض هللا عنها يwould keep coming to Asma-bint-Umais رض هللا عنهاto hear this Hadith from her. Asma رض هللا عنها ي يwould say that it was as though nothing in the entire world was more valuable to them than this one Hadith. Nafeesa couldn’t fathom how a single Hadith could be so treasured by someone but she realized that Sahabah رض هللا عنهperceived things very differently from the way we do. ي (Continued on page 28)
27 27
(Continued from page 27)
from anyone interested in marrying her.
Then one day after waking up from a sei-
She got another sign from Allah when she
zure she recalled the Hadith about the
opened the Qur’an. Allah (SWT) said:
black woman, and she realized how a single
And it is He who has created from water a
Hadith really could be so dear to someone.
human being and made him [a relative by]
She and the likes of her were nothing com-
lineage and marriage. And ever is your Lord
pared to the greatness of Allah; they were
competent [concerning creation]. (25:54).
just ordinary beings among His infinite cre-
Nafeesa stopped crying right then. She shy-
ations. But Allah, the Lord of the Universe,
ly smiled as she realized that she didn’t
still understood their pain and distress. Not
need to worry about her marriage since Al-
only does He understand it, but He also
lah had already written who would marry
placed a special reward for it. If no one else
her. Not after too long, a proposal came
comprehends what they (the patient ones)
from Nafeesa’s own relatives and despite
were going through, He could. Then why
telling them the details of her illness they
wouldn’t the gift of the Most Merciful be
still want her hand in marriage. Their rea-
more valuable than the world and all it
son was to marry her for her Deen. After
contains?
the marriage, they took care of her medical
Nafeesa’s illness had never been a hurdle in
needs as her own family would have done,
her education. By Allah’s grace, she ex-
Alhamdulillah.
celled in both religious and worldly studies.
No disaster strikes except by permission of
But once she reached marriageable age, af-
Allah. And whoever believes in Allah - He will
ter a certain point her parents decided to
guide his heart. And Allah is Knowing of all
give her a reality check. One day, her par-
things. (64:11)
ents explained to her that her illness could be a potential hurdle in getting her married. Nafeesa didn’t say anything then but once inside her room, she cried her heart out. It was understood that they (her parents) wouldn’t hide her medical condition 28
28
29 29
Ramadan moves around from winter to summer and to winter again
9th Month of Hijri Calendar
All non-obligatory prayer are upgraded in reward of obligatory prayers
Zakat u fitr: An obligatory Charity before Eid
Photo by Fezbot2000 on Unsplash
30 30
Long in Summers
No Food or Drink
Shaytan is in Chains
Duration: Dawn till Dusk
All obligatory prayers are rewarded immensely
Safeguarding your Tongue
29 or 30 Days of Fasts
Lail-tul-Qadr: Last 10 Nights
Short in Winters
Sleep in Also Rewarded Every Good deed is Rewarded by Allah More than 70 Times
Safeguarding your Action No Intimate Relationships while Fasting
Eid celebration: A Reward For A Blessed Ramadan
Taraweeh: Night Before Eid:
A long nightly prayer only in Ramadan
LAIL-Tul-Qadr: A night worth of 1000 months of Rewards
Pray & Ask for acceptance of Deeds
31
31
Photo by Brigitte Tohm on Unsplash 32