Myles Munroe about leadership and loneliness (Video)

“When you pursue something that is more important than the crowd, you end up leading the crowd.” – Dr Myles Munroe

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Basheer Jones – Changing the world one young person at a time (Video)

 This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. Understanding our youth, identifying their point of reference and relating to them.

Basheer Jones is a poet, speaker and author. As the founder of the “Be the Change” leadership series, his life’s focus has been to inspire young people to see beyond their current situation. Jones shares his life experiences with the hopes of inspiring them to be the change that they want to see. Born in New York, a graduate of Martin Luther King High School, and Morehouse College, he is trying to change the world one young person at a time.

About TEDx, x = independently organized event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)
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How I’m Trying to Raise 8 Intelligent, God-Conscious Children: Interview with Sharifah Mastura Al Jifri

Source: productivemuslim.com

I’d met the eldest daughter at law school: a hafidhah who was fluent in English, Arabic and Malay, a bright student who’d studied 3 different syllabuses and was a remarkably disciplined girl for her age. When she told me all her other 7 siblings were or are becoming huffaadh and were being educated and brought up like she was too, I couldn’t wait to meet their wonder mom.

When I first met their amazing mother Sharifah Mastura Al Jifri – a petite, serene Singaporean woman; and the rest of her beautiful children at their house; I knew I’d never seen an entire productive family like this one in my life, mashaAllah.

Eeman Boosters to Nourish your Soul

Source: blog.islamiconlineuniversity.com

By: Nasmira Firdous

Distress, anxiety, joys, fear, worries and happiness: different facets that make up this mesmerizing sojourn called “life”. It might fascinate you with its unknown twists and turns. There are moments where you relish the joys and happiness with every breath you take. And then, there are moments when the human soul, weak in its creation but as mighty as it thinks of itself, tries to shred realities and instead, buries itself into worldly deceptions.

With the pressures of dunya that strangle us both physically and emotionally, our minds tend to lose focus and our hearts cringe with disappointments and pain. Beyond all of this, our souls end up forgetting their very purpose of existence: To worship our Creator .

In this article, let us undertake a journey that would help us free our hearts from worries, let us perform tiny little acts of acts that could weigh heavy on our scale of good deeds, helping us have an eeman high, in sha Allah.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FOR THE UNMOSQUED – ART OF CONNECTION WITH BELAL KHAN (VIDEO)

I read an interesting article recently by Mohamed Abdul-Azeez, the former head of the Salam Center in Sacramento on the “Crisis of Imams in America”

Source: muslimmatters.org

By: Belal Khan

Due to the way Muslim communities have been developed, the challenges they face are different from that of other faith communities.

Among the Christian community you find one of two types of models.

Model 1 – Corporate Franchise Clergy Structure

Model 2 – Local Visionary

The American Muslim community for the most part doesn’t follow any of these two models.

Typically you have a bunch of local folks that want to establish a place to pray. They come together, form a board, write out the policies, buy some real estate and make that a place to pray.

Then they realize they need to get an imam, and they end up hiring one of two types.

A Balanced, Just, Merciful yet Strong Muslim Leadership has to arise!

“Look at the quiet, power and balance in the Masjids of Northern Kazakhistan!” (Petropavl City Mosque)

By: Abdullah Hakim Quick

Islam was never established with vengeance, killing children, murdering innocent women, slaughtering prisoners, or being intolerant of other opinions (especially Scholars). Yes, drones are killing innocents, horrible torture is being used against us, lies are being spread about our Faith, “Manchurian Candidates” and third forces are committing evil in Islam’s name but we cannot fight evil with evil or unleash terror to counter terror. It is not the way of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) who countered evil with righteous strength and balanced firmness. Revenge and hatred will only produce an endless cycle of madness and chaos.”
“Wake up Muslims before its too late! We have a dignified religion and excellent examples in our past. The Lion kills to survive, not out of vengeance and hatred for other animals. That’s why he (the lion) can sleep all day and nobody will bother him!!!”

Maryam Amirebrahimi: By the Stars they are Guided (Video)

 The concept of ‘stars’ has always been ascribed to the luminaries and legends of many societies. This simile is found in the modern culture and is likened to actors, athletes, and the like. In the Islamic tradition, the stars are associated with the legends of Islamic history. We need to redefine this simile to the true luminaries and legends of human history: the people of God. By studying their examples of just leadership through times of extreme difficulty, we can implement their methodology of institution-building to construct a virtuous society in our present context. Just like the heavens have stars for terrestrial navigation, so do we have stars for guidance to paradise.
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The Interview: Malik Jones of Gambia interviews Dr. Bilal Philips (Video)

 Gambia’s top notch interview program. People from all walks of life talk to The Gambia’s King of Talk. Its the right questions, provoking and bringing to the fore what you want to know.
Dr. Bilal Philips lectures…

Qualities of the Khawārij Sect Found Amongst Some Muslims Today

By: Suhaib Webb

The Khawārij were a group who tried to exceed the piety established by the Prophet (sa). In fact, that caused them to question his positions and even kill some of his companions (ra). In an excellent book titled Studies on Religious Cults and Muslim History (Dirasāt al-Furuq wa Tārīkh al-Muslimīn) the writer gathers a number of qualities of the Khawārij, who in the name of piety, do more damage than good. Here are a few. Inshallah, I plan to translate them all in the future.