Letter to a new Muzlim

ibnayyub.wordpress.com/2008/01/28/letter-to-a-new-muslim-by-hajj-abdassamad-clarke/

Long read but covers many points all Muzlims will tussle with

Phone on flight mode

I used to put my phone on vibrate when I walked into a masjid. But the vibration in my pocket would occur my mind would wonder who it could be. So now I choose to disconnect from creation by switching on flight mode. The intention is to focus my undivided attention my creator for the very short time I'm in the masjid.

Removing the Safety Net - By Shaykh Yunus Patel - South Africa

I was sent an email from my good friend (Asif T), and in it was a link to an short 100 page advice to tackle the ills of modern living from Shaykh Yunus Patel (rahimullah) - South Africa,

Click here for - Removing the Safety Net - By Shaykh Yunus Patel - South Africa

IDA - what I took

1. Time is extremely valuable (Don't waste it)
2. Increase Mutahaabs, and decrease Makrooh acts
3. Nafil fasts of Muharram are BIG.

London Markaz promoting car sharing

I visited London Markaz (Masjid Ilyas) after a very long time. At the main gates as my friend rolled down his driver side video we where given the leaflet below.

Who said Muzlims ain't Green...

The recent course I was attending is now completed. Allhumdulliah it was of great benefit. I'll be writing up a summery in a later entry Insha'Allah.

Here's some links to texts which where referred to during the course for now.

Shaykh Sayf ibn Ali al-Asri's work on Tafweedh (Arabic):

http://ia600704.us.archive.org/3/items/QawlAlTamamBiIthbatiTafweedMadhhabanLilSalafAlKiram/QawlAlTamamBiIthbatAlTafweed_sayfAlAsri.pdf

Kitab al-Milal wal-Nihal of al-Shahrastani (English) on the 73 sects:

http://www.4shared.com/file/121192841/56f165ef/Kitab_al-mihal_wal-Nihal_Shahrastani_eng.html

Shaykh Wahbi Sulayman al-Ghawiji's work highlighting the problems with the Ibana (English/Arabic):

http://ia600503.us.archive.org/1/items/ProblemsWithAlIbanaFiUsulAlDiyanaOfImamAlAsshari/ProblemsWithAl_ibana_by_shaykhGhawiji.pdf

Shaykh Abul Hasan's article on Allah's Kursi meaning His Knowledge, which hasn't been responded to in over 3 years (English):

http://www.marifah.net/forums/topic/3010-allahs-kursi-means-his-knowledge-to-some-from-the-salaf-other-issues-relating-to-faisal-al-jasims-book/

Online article; Shah Waliullah's defence on Imam Abu Hanifa and Irja (English):

http://www.deoband.org/2010/04/history/distortions-and-lies/the-accusation-of-irja%E2%80%99-against-imam-abu-hanifah/

Muhammad ibn Alawi al-Maliki al-Makki's work on benefitting the deceased in 2 parts (English):

Part 1: http://marifah.net/articles/Isaalalthawab-sayyidMaliki.pdf

Part 2: http://marifah.net/articles/Tahqiq%20Part%20two.pdf

click here for source website

Please pass onto any who may be interested.  The open days are designed to welcome people not of the Muslim faith into the Masjid see how they operate. In these days of fear mongering. We must all try and understand each other. Even if we don't agree.

PS. Let me know if any churches, temples, synagogues are holding open days in the east end. I'd love to visit.

London Markaz aka Masjid Ilyas aka Mega Mousque

Been ages since I last visited a Thursday night gathering. I must say it felt good. Talks at any Markaz keep it simple. They don't go in to politics, or fiqh issues and keep it on Iman, Salaat and dawa work.

Reminders are good for those who give them and those who listen to them.

Dawa stalls

Just finished work and making my way to a spot of grappling and I see a dawa stall at the main entrance to Stratford shopping centre (McDonalds side, and not station side). I stop and greet the brothers and ask them how their day's been. We start talking, and about how the PCO's, then plain cloths police had moved them away from the Stratford station entrance, and that they are pitched in Brixton every Sunday (I think) and I'm asked to watch the stall while they offer Magrib Salaat.

Nobody really stopped to talk, but one very big guy looked at the material on the stall and swore under his breath and continued his journey. I didn't react fast enough. I genuinely wanted to understand why is was soo angry / offended.

After the three stall brothers finished magrib, they told me to just find three others and set my own stall up. I questioned further and that was about it, find three other brothers and just do it. I asked if I could first shadow them at their table for a few Sundays before setting up my own shop. They informed me about a stall near Forest Gate Majid. They mentioned that they had a different style (now I am intrigued). Every Sunday after dhur.

It is something I would love to do. Insha'Allah I will have to make time for such a reward earning activity.

In Pursuit of Happiness

As part of my life redesign I'm currently studying the works of the great Sufi Imam Al-Ghazali.

I watched a documentary about his life (The Alchemy of Happiness) and also Hamza Yusuf's thoughts on his life - (playlist here)

I've ordered the book Alchemy of Happiness (Forgotten Book) by Al-Ghazali and eagerly await it's arrival.


'Abu Hamid al-Ghazali is one of the great Muslim jurist, theologian and mystics of the Muslim world. He lived in the 12th Century. He was a polymath who wrote on a wide range of topics including jurisprudence, theology, mysticism and philosophy. In the west he is famous for his devastating attack on philosophy specifically metaphysics in his tahfut al-falasifa, Incoherence of the philosophers. He is also the author of the famed ihya' `ulum al-din (Revival of Religious Sciences) a book that combined mysticism with practical everyday life actions by emphasizing the underlying psychology of daily life practices and its ramification on life in this world and the hereafter. AKA: al-Ghazzali , Algazel (450-505 AH/1058-1111 AD)'

Retrieved from "http://www.ghazali.org/site/gz-mini.htm"

Studying Aqeedah Tahawia (The Aqeedah (Beliefs) of Ahlus-Sunnah)

Click here for the text


I'm currently going to a weekly 3 hour class (8 weeks) on Aqeedah Tahawia in Newham with Shaykh Abul Hasan Hussain Ahmed organised by http://www.sunnicourses.com/

So far it's been very beneficial. With a great emphasis on being diligent in regards to whom we gain our knowledge from. Checking the line of ilm (knowledge). I'll update on these classes as I continue to attend them.

Volunteer opportunity with MADE in Bosnia for a Year

http://madeineurope.org.uk/volunteer/the-journey

What a great opportunity for anyone who can do this for a year. Pass it on folks

Too be young again. I'd have jumped at this by in 2000.

Muzlamic meals on wheels

Here's an idea, a national online matching service which puts a Muzlamic family in touch with an elderly person/ couple. The elderly person/s can be of any faith. Now once paired up. The central team would pay for CRB check and deliver two tiffins to the family take on the honor of feeding this elder of thier community along with the elders contact details. Idealy on the same street.

When dropping off one food filled tiffin, they'd collect yesterdays one.Have a chat, inform relevant parties if any problems

Just an idea. Any thoughts??? It's like adopting a Grandpa/ Grandpa.

Action Learning Pathway for Masnoon Du'aa

I'm making a real effort of memorising and putting into practise the masnoon du'aa for daily task. Going to bed, awakening, enter/ leaving the lavatory, wudu etc.

1. I need to verify authentic sources so far I've been recommend - Fortification of the Muslim (Hisnul Muslim) (Shayh please verify if you're reading this)

2. Instill the virtues of doing these actions

2. Set up an action learning pathway (More on this later)

3. Act upon and encourage others to do the same.

Muzlimic Raygun

Just missed out on gingerbread couple

The Ramadan Gingerbread Cookie Project | The Eco Muslim
What a fab idea, a website I need to look into. Thought I'd hyperlink it in this blog, maybe, just maybe the one reader I have may benefit from it before I do.

Idea for an App to help keep updated on Jamaat times

Wouldn't it be great to know when the Jamaat times for your local Masjids have changed. Even better knowing the same for a locality you're visiting.

I envisage a website which you could search for a masjid and see the current jamaat times for the five prayer times. This would tie into RSS feeds, android app, and user accounts.

The times would be updated by users. It could also tiein with a masjid locator like this one https://market.android.com/details?id=com.nearestmasjid.android&feature=search_result

Anyone intreasted in the developing this with me?

Distilled version of talks at IDA last 10 days in 5 sentences

1. Stop sinning
2. Increase Sunnah's
3. Increase Zikr
4. Increase contact with a Shaykh
This will make you love Allah (swt)

1 in 13 Million - Only Japanese Imam in Tokoyo, Japan

1 in 13 million - The only native Japanese Imam in Tokyo from Uchujin on Vimeo.

What a remarkable individual.

Brothers knocking at my door

Still in bed when a local brother and two others staying at local masjid (3 days Tablighi Jamaat) knock on my door. I answer lungi and jumper clad. I invite them in make some green tea for us all, with morrocan mint of course and we sit down for a chat. We talk about gardening and move through subject matter ranging from inflation to Dajjal. I really appreciate such visits as they do this not for financial gain or any other worldy matters. The porpose is simple to encourge aliveness in islamic practice focusing on a collective dawa in communties on this very aspect.

To conclude. Insha'Allah I'll be going with the local brothers for 3 days jamaat next weekend, it's been a while since I last went (Ramadan). Also will go to my local masjid for ghust and bayaan today.

Nothing to Show but Grey Hair

I've had quite a few silver hair sprout up on my head. But only noticed my first silver beard strand the other day. Which got me thinking how little I've done in my thirty years of life. No great works worthy of mention. I haven't funded the digging of a water well in a third world country, or memorised anything past the last ten surahs of the Qu'raan, no consistent zikr, nafil fast or salaat, no memorising of sahih hadith or du'aas, you get the picture.

In light of this I'll be saving and encouraging others to help fund the digging of a water well. I'll update once I've ironed out the details.

Salaah @ Westfield Shopping Center (West London)

If your in Westfield and need to offer salaah, there's a quite room on level -2, access it via lift lobby 4, near Debenhams. As you come out of the lift on -2 it'll be the unmarked brown door on the left of the parking payment machines.

Oh and use the toilets in the Village (near House of Friaser) their much nicer.

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Intro, and really making wudu.

Being a Muzlim (just like the yanks would say) influences my everyday life in so many ways. The food I eat, to the ninja like skills needed to get my foot over a sink when needing to my wudu. This blog will focus on such choices and thoughts arising from them. Lets see how it evolves.

Like today I saw a job add for Newham, I skim through the person spec and think 'I could do this' until I get to the bit where it states 'sourcing musical instruments for children'. It's a post in the new 'Every child a musician' project Newham is running. I decide I'm not having any part of that.

As I mentioned wudu, the video below is an awesome tutorial on how to really make wudu