The Seven Under Allah’s Shade

By: Jamaal Diwan

Source: http://www.suhaibwebb.com/

The hadith (saying of the Prophet) of the seven who are in Allah’s shade, subhanahu wa ta’ala (exalted is He), on the Day of Judgment gives us guidance as to important milestones and markers for our spiritual development. These are goals that should be sought in one’s development.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

There are seven whom Allah will shade in His Shade on the Day when there is no shade except His Shade: a just ruler; a youth who grew up in the worship of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic; a man whose heart is attached to the mosques; two men who love each other for Allah’s sake, meeting for that and parting upon that; a man who is called by a woman of beauty and position [for illegal intercourse], but he says: ‘I fear Allah’, a man who gives in charity and hides it, such that his left hand does not know what his right hand gives in charity; and a man who remembered Allah in private and so his eyes shed tears.

So there are seven things mentioned in this hadith:

You Will Find Me, if Allah so Wills, Among Those Who Are Patient

By: Shohala Hakim

Source: http://www.suhaibwebb.com/

In the name of God, the Gracious, the Merciful.

“And when he reached with him [the age of] exertion, he said, “O my son, indeed I have seen in a dream that I [must] sacrifice you, so see what you think.” He said, “O my father, do as you are commanded. You will find me, if Allah wills, of the steadfast.” And when they had both submitted and he put him down upon his forehead, We called to him, “O Abraham, You have fulfilled the vision.” Indeed, We thus reward the doers of good. Indeed, this was the clear trial.” (Qur’an 37:102-106)

The Lighthouse

By: Reehab Ramadan

Source: suhaibwebb.com

Imagine being a captain on a ship, lost at sea in the midst of dark deep waters. The sun sets and you are left trying to get your GPS to pick up a signal, any signal, to let you know where you might possibly be. As your GPS refuses to work, you begin to think about all the possible dangers in the water—the dark water that you can not see into because the night is pitch black. You pray that you will not accidentally stray into dangerous waters that may leave your boat punctured, and as a result, only hours away from sinking into that cold water yourself. Suddenly you see something, up ahead, and you heave a sigh of relief: A lighthouse. The light flashes, making apparent where the dangerous areas of water are. The light flashes multiple times, and you scurry to your lighthouse map and figure out where exactly this lighthouse is: you’re found—no longer lost at sea. Your worry is gone, your mood at ease, and you continue on your way with confidence and motivation. Imagine that feeling, and then take notice of this: that lighthouse is an example of who we want to be, in so many ways.

Living with Depression and Islam

Source: suhaibwebb.com

Every morning I wake up and wish I hadn’t.

The months, weeks and days pass with me wishing it’ll be the last, and yet there’s no end.

At nighttime I cry faintly into my pillow with tears streaming down my cheeks. I whimper in pain, attempting to suppress the sounds that leave my room; I don’t want my family to hear.

I whisper, “Oh Allah, I don’t want to live anymore. Oh Allah, please, I don’t want to live anymore.”

I feel broken. I feel alone. I feel empty inside. I am in pain and numb at the same time. Perhaps my pain is so much now that I can no longer distinguish it. It is a physical pain—a weight on my chest crushing my existence, crushing my hopes and dreams.

Good Advice for New Muslims

Source: suhaibwebb.com

By: Brother Alex

1. Practice Islam as much as you can

“He who loves my Sunnah has loved me, and he who loves me will be with me in Paradise.”

-The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) (Tirmidhi)

As a new Muslim, you will have trouble keeping up with prayers every day, fasting during Ramadan, and the many other practices in this religion. The struggle that we face, with such a radical change in lifestyle, is difficult and will take some time. Awkward moments are bound to happen, don’t fret. You are not expected to wake up at 4am every morning to pray tahajjud (extra night prayers). If you have problems with certain practices, then gradually work yourself into the mindset of worship. A counsellor once told me when I was young, “How do you eat an elephant? Just One bite at a time.” Think of it as one step at a time. Pray to Allah and ask for Him to make it easy for you and the rest will come naturally.

Keeping up with your devotional practices is something that will strengthen your faith immensely. Read the Qur’an whenever possible. Find a collection of hadith, such as Riyadh us-Saliheen, and read it often. You will start to feel a connection to Allah and you will become used to Islam as a religion and way of life.

The Hijab Diaries: From Sweet 16 to Hijabi Before 16

By: Gabrielle Deonath

Source: http://www.suhaibwebb.com/

The Hijab Diaries: Part I | Part II

There is one thing that little girls dream about: getting older. Since I was four years old, I’d been dreaming about turning the golden age of sixteen. I watched shows, like My Super Sweet 16 on MTV, and I thought I would plan every detail of my Sweet 16 party with my cousins. I thought I would have an amazing teenage life, like they show on all the TV shows and movies: an unforgettable Sweet 16 party, the cutest boyfriend, the best clothes, my driver’s license, etc. I imagined I’d be living the good life.

Every Soul Shall Taste It

By: Jinan Bastaki

Source: http://www.suhaibwebb.com

“The eyes surely tear,

and the heart is surely in pain,

but (with my tongue) I will only say that which is pleasing to Allah,

and we are indeed sad at being separated from you, O Ibrahim.”

—Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (peace be upon him), upon losing his child Ibrahim at 2 years old

Al-Muhye, Al-Mumeet: The Life-Giver, the Life-Taker

These two names often come together, but I will be brief on al-Muhye, as I want to elaborate on it further in a separate article, and focus more on al-Mumeet here. These names are not mentioned in this exact form in the Qur’an, but their meaning is conveyed in numerous places. Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala(exalted is He) says:
“He gives life and causes death (yuhyee wa yumeet), and to Him you will be returned,” [Qur’an, 10:56]

Al-Ghazali explains these two names, stating that “none is the creator of life and death but God—may He be praised and exalted, and so there is no life-giver or slayer but God—Great and Glorious.”

Allah gives life to things that are dead. We all witness the death of nature around us; a seed—a lifeless thing—is planted and given nourishment, and grows into a tall sturdy tree that gives us flowers and fruits. Then in autumn, the leaves fall, and the trees stand inanimate through the winter. But come spring, the flowers bloom again.  Indeed he is al-Muhye: He gives life. And perhaps the greatest manifestation is our own life: the growth of a human being, with a soul, from a sperm and an egg. Indeed, these are signs for people who reflect:

“He brings the living out of the dead and brings the dead out of the living and brings to life the earth after its lifelessness. And thus will you be brought out.” (Qur’an, 30:19)

12 Amazing Tips to Become a Better Muslim!

By: Brother Alex (Dallas, TX)

Source: http://www.suhaibwebb.com/

1. Practice Islam as much as you can

“He who loves my Sunnah has loved me, and he who loves me will be with me in Paradise.”
-The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Tirmidhi)

As a new Muslim, you will have trouble keeping up with prayers every day, fasting during Ramadan, and the many other practices in this religion. The struggle that we face, with such a radical change in lifestyle, is difficult and will take some time. Awkward moments are bound to happen, don’t fret. You are not expected to wake up at 4am every morning to pray tahajjud (extra night prayers). If you have problems with certain practices, then gradually work yourself into the mindset of worship. A counselor once told me when I was young, “How do you eat an elephant? Just One bite at a time.” Think of it as one step at a time. Pray to Allah (swt) and ask for Him to make it easy for you and the rest will come naturally.

Keeping up with your devotional practices is something that will strengthen your faith immensely. Read the Qur’an whenever possible. Find a collection of hadith, such as Riyadh us-Saliheen, and read it often. You will start to feel a connection to Allah (swt) and you will become used to Islam as a religion and way of life.

2.  Respect your parents

“Heaven lies under the feet of your mother.”
–The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Ahmad, Nasa’i)

Keeping up a good relationship with your family is essential. Try to avoid bringing up or taking part in controversial subjects regarding religion. This is almost unavoidable, but your parents will eventually accept that Islam is not going to turn you into a terrorist if you stay calm during these tense moments. Gradually, your parents will gain some respect and understanding of Islam and may start to become genuinely interested. This is a great sign and insha’Allah, God will make a way for them to accept Islam.

What you do not want to do is act like you know everything, attempt to debate everything, or overly defend yourself in a way that might make you angry or upset. This will just cause heartache and uneasiness. Your priority now should be to work on yourself.