The Prophet Muhammad's Last Sermon

*Photo Credit by By Al Jazeera English

The Prophet Muhammad (S) delivered his last sermon on the 9th day of Dhul Hijjah 10 A.H. in the Uranah valley of Mount Arafat (in Mecca). Below you will find some beautiful words of wisdom, and if we apply it to our lives it would only enhance the quality of our lives. 

...After praising, and thanking Allah he said: "O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I know not whether after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore listen to what I am saying to you very carefully and TAKE THESE WORDS TO THOSE WHO COULD NOT BE PRESENT HERE TODAY. O People, just as you regard this month, this day, this city as Sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed meet your LORD, and that HE will indeed reckon your deeds. ALLAH has forbidden you to take usury (interest), therefore all interest obligation shall henceforth be waived. Your capital, however, is yours to keep. You will neither inflict nor suffer any inequity. Allah has Judged that there shall be no interest and that all the interest due to Abbas ibn 'Abd'al Muttalib (Prophet's uncle) shall henceforth be waived... Beware of Satan, for the safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things. O People, it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women, but they also have rights over you. Remember that you have taken them as your wives only under Allah's trust and with His permission. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Do treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers. And it is your right that they do not make friends with any one of whom you do not approve, as well as never to be unchaste. O People, listen to me in earnest, worship ALLAH, say your five daily prayers (Salah), fast during the month of Ramadan, and give your wealth in Zakat. Perform Hajj if you can afford to. All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not, therefore, do injustice to yourselves. Remember, one day you will appear before ALLAH and answer your deeds. So beware, do not stray from the path of righteousness after I am gone. O People, NO PROPHET OR APOSTLE WILL COME AFTER ME AND NO NEW FAITH WILL BE BORN. Reason well, therefore, O People, and understand words which I convey to you. I leave behind me two things, the QURAN and my example, the SUNNAH and if you follow these you will never go astray. All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me directly. Be my witness, O ALLAH, that I have conveyed your message to your people".

*Photo Credit By Al Jazeera English (Pilgrims cover Arafat's roads, plains and mountain) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Don't Forget To Fast On The Day of Arafah

Photo Credit By Al Jazeera English*

Tomorrow is the Day of Arafah, and with it is an opportunity that only comes once a year. That is Fasting on the day of Arafah is an expiation for two years.

--The ninth day of Dhul-Hijjah is the day of ’Arafah, since it is on this day that the pilgrims gather at the mountain plain of ’Arafah, praying and supplicating to their Lord. It is mustahabb (highly recommended) for those who are not pilgrims to fast on this day, since the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) was asked about fasting on the day of ’Arafah, so he said, “It expiates the sins (Minor) of the past year and the coming year.” [Muslim (no. 1162)]

*"Praying at Arafat - Flickr - Al Jazeera English" by Al Jazeera English - Praying at Arafat. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The Blessed Days of Dhul Hijjah

Photo Credit by Al Jazeera English*

The month of Dhul Hijjah will be upon us shortly, and the individuals who have been blessed with the ability to travel to make Hajj will begin their journey (May Allah reward them and accept their Hajj).

For those who are unable to make it to Hajj this year, can still earn so many blessings during the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah.  I found this video by Imam Zaid Shakir, who talks about what we can do to make the most out of the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah (The video was made a few years back, but the information is very beneficial).

                                  "Imam Zaid Shakir: Message for Dhul Hijjah 1431 (2010) - YouTube"

 May Allah enable us to make the best of these blessed days!







*"Al-Haram mosque - Flickr - Al Jazeera English" by Al Jazeera English - Al-Haram mosque. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons -

Mind Over Matter

  Photo  by  Bingmanson

Although the month of Ramadan (month of fasting) has come and gone, I am still trying to make up my days from fasting. It seems like worshiping in Ramadan is so easy and so meaningful, but once it’s over the idea of fasting can sometimes feel overwhelming. Getting up early, finding something to eat, and going throughout the day watching other people eat wishing you could eat too. I have decided since I have a significant amount of days left, I am going to fast on Mondays and Thursdays until I get all the days made up. What I have realized is that if you think something is hard, it will be just that…hard.

“If you think you can do a thing or think you cannot do a thing, you're right.”

-Henry Ford

The mind is a powerful thing

We don’t realize how powerful the mind is and all the things we can do, all we have to do is put our mind to it and then we can do it. We went from snail mail to email, from the yellow pages to Google, from home phones to mobile phones; of course, none of this could be possible without the ultimate Creator. All it takes is one person to be inspired with an idea that would change everything. If we just challenged ourselves, and find ways to develop our minds instead of wasting them we can be anything we want to be.

Law of attraction

The idea that we attract into our lives the things we put in to the world. For example, you want to get married, but you think that there are no good men or women left, or you’re just not good enough to deserve the best spouse. Well more than likely what you believe will come true, if you think about it another way we say that we believe that Allah(God) is the Most Gracious, but do we truly believe He is the all powerful? If we truly believe that then why don’t we believe that Allah (God) can, and will provide the best for us? So if someone says there are no good people left to marry, does that mean that Allah (God) out of His grace can’t provide us with the best mate we could ever ask for? Or are we placing material limitations on the Almighty God? If we keep saying things like “I don’t deserve the best” or “ I just have to take what I can get”  it becomes  a mantra or a silent prayer that whether we like it or not will be answered.

Change your thoughts change your life

I was watching this program by Dr Wayne Dyer called Change your thoughts change your life, the main point of the program was to help open people's mind to the idea of the title change your thoughts change your life. He talked about the countless lessons he learned from studying and living the Tao Te Ching. One of the concepts that hit home was the idea of living in such a way that you are preparing for your death. Now I know that sounds very depressing, but bear with me, the whole idea here is letting go of the things in our lives that we don’t need or that don’t define us. So basically as India Arie put it “ I am not my hair, I am not this skin, I am the soul that lives within” (Great lyrics).  If we look at ourselves this way we avoid attachment to material possessions and labels. For example, many times as people, we define ourselves by possessions such as money, our house, car, or maybe we define ourselves by a title such as a doctor, wife, business owner but what happens if we lose these possessions or titles does that make us any less of a person? If we gain any of these items, does that change who we are? The truth is it does not it is only the meaning we give things and labels that determine its effect on us. Sadly, in our society we tend to measure ourselves, and those in our circle by this very idea and can cause a great deal of stress and unnecessary pain. 



What are your thoughts on this subject? 

Click on the link below to check out the book Change Your Thoughts Change Your Life

Change Your Thoughts - Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao

Click on the link below to check out the book The Secret (That talks about the law of Attraction)
The Secret

The Rihla, Global Meditation for Peace, & 21 Day Meditation Experience

Very quickly I wanted to tell you about 3 online events that are happening in the month of August.

1. The Rihla (Already in progress as of August 1)

What is the Rihla?

"The Rihla Livestream provides over 100 lecture hours covering the absolute essentials of faith. The majority of this year's curriculum will provide students with knowledge that is both a religious duty for every Muslim to learn (fard 'ayn) and immediately applicable in life."- Rihla Livestream

Who is speaking?

2014 Teachers Include:

• Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad
• Imam Zaid Shakir
• Shaykh Jamal Zahabi
• Shaykh Hamza Yusuf
• Imam Afroz Ali
• Ustadh Omar Qureshi
• Ustadh Hamzah Wald Maqbul
• Ustadh Feraidoon Mojadedi

To sign up and learn more go to http://livestream.deenintensive.com/

2. Global Meditation For Peace 

What is the Global Meditation For Peace? 

Watch the video below

Who is leading the meditation?

Join Deepak Chopra, Gabrielle Bernstein, India Arie, and the Chopra Center

When is it? On August 8, 2014 at 12 pm EDT

How to sign up and learn more?

http://globalmeditation.chopra.com/

3. 21-Day Meditation Experience 

What is the 21-Day Meditation Experience ?

"Are you ready for a big boost of joy? Join Oprah & Deepak to tap into the inner wellspring of happiness that awaits you. In this perfect summertime journey, Oprah & Deepak help you spark the bliss, profound peace, and playful exhilaration that is within you.The all-new Oprah & Deepak 21-Day Meditation Experience, Expanding Your Happiness.
It’s easy. It’s free. It’s 3-weeks that will invigorate your life!"- Chopra Center

Who is leading the meditation?

Deepak Chopra and Oprah Winfrey

When is it ? August 11,2014

How to sign up and learn more?

https://chopracentermeditation.com/

“Eid Reflection”

  Photo by  Off_FoCus_Don

Poem by Aminah Ahmed

A great day of celebration

Of joy and elation

To praise the name of the Creator

And his servant Rasulu’Allah Sall’Allahu Wa Laihi Wa Salaam.

You look back at the days pass

And the feat that you have accomplished thus far

Fasting and doing good deeds for Allah

For 28 to 30 days you stopped doing things
 Under normal circumstances would be ok.

For a portion of the day you stopped
Eating and drinking for Allah

Its almost like a spiritual graduation

Insha’Allah in the days ahead its time
To step up your deen to the next level

Because Ramadan was just the beginning.

If you can restrain yourself from
Eating and drinking well there
Really is nothing you can’t do

Ramadan is like a spiritual boot camp
 Just for you each year, the goal is to get better

The goal is to improve on you

So whether your goal is to memorize another juz
Or to pray all 5 prayers as a regular practice

Its time to make time to develop you spiritual practice.

"Tarawee"

  Photo by  DVIDSHUB

Poem by Aminah Ahmed


During the month of Ramadan

We stand and pray qiyam

Tarawee in the month of Ramadan, is like food to my soul

Standing and praying with my brothers and sisters warms my soul.

The qari recites beautiful quranic recitation

It takes me to a place of high elevation

Almost as if I am sitting in meditation

Standing and praying with my community this is one of the times, I feel our unity.

Saying AAAAAMMMMMEEEEEEENNNNNN in perfect harmony

Once a number of rakats is done, the imam delivers a short message of spiritual motivation

As we break, we take time to reflect on this beautiful information

Once we are done, we form our rows and join our lines.

The congregation is ready for more

The imam says Allahu Akbar and here we go

Completing a juz of Quran, in the month of Ramadan

We finish our prayer with shafi and witer, and now it’s time for the big dua at the end of the night

Tarawee in the month of Ramadan is like food to my soul.