I've been foruming since 2000 or 2001 I think and of course my life has not been stagnant, but one thing I love is how the old forumers still know one another and keep in touch and have friendships built even when they don't come to the forums anymore... Some of of my closest friends I met on these forums... or maybe the somalinet ones... what can i say, i'm grateful to Allah and then the internet! Fi Amaani'Laah

Bukurr... what parts of the Somali identity have been lost with the embracing of Islam? Obviously if one wants to live by Islamic principles, they'll have to ditch certain cultural things that go against the religion, but I don't believe this equals losing the Somali identity!! Unless of course, the individual has inferiority complex and purposely wants to ditch their Somali identity... Fi Amaani'Laah

Originally posted by Karl_Polanyi: wow. wow. wow. this is great wisdom and the only time i understand what you are speaking about. allahuakbar. Loooool! Option 1: point fingers, complain ==> make no difference! Option 2: figure out your talent, use it ==> make a difference! Fi Amaani'Laah

That's where the ethical question comes up... is the product really what you claim or are you merely speaking to make profit and you could careless about honesty? I was a marketing major and subhanna Allah, I can see how Allah has blessed me with the ability to convince people of ideas if I believe in them... it's scary sometimes... but dad baa bohol kadhaci kara if you speak with passion about something negative... Fi Amaani'Laah

Oh, we are going back to Somalia?????!!!!!

Originally posted by Xu: quote: The 13th factor is the Morning and afternoon Dhiker. These are prescribed sayings that our Prophet SAWS had taught us to say at dawn and sunset. Saying these adhkaar can put a lot of ease and happiness into your life. It can reduce your sins, increase your hasanaat and protect you from Sheitaan. I am sorry if this sounds really dumb, but what do you exactly say when you do the Dhiker? There is a little book called Hisn alMuslim sis, it has many of the remembrance of the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wassalam, google hisn alMuslim.... here is a link to the morning/evening adhkar... and these are the ones the prophet Sallah Allahu alayhi wassalam used to say on regular basis... they truly bring about ease, happiness and tranquility... http://www.islamic-knowledge.com/Hisn_al_Muslim/Remembrance_Morning_Evening.htm Fi Amaani'Laah

Assalaamu alaykum, Another answer for the question of how to attain and maintain khushuuc insha Allah... We need to observe our lives, if we are living a life that is heedless of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and full of disobedience, then how then do we expect to connect with Him the 4 minutes we stand in Salah? If I'm out backbiting, cheating and lying, then I will definitely not have khushuuc in my Salah.. However, if my life is generally one that brings me closer to Allah, then I'll find the sweetness of khushuuc bi idhni Allah... Our Salah in Ramadan is definitely not like our salah in other times... our salah in the masjid, in jama'a, or after reading Quran is definitely not like the one you do in 5 minutes while hanging out at the mall... Listen to a lecture on halaltube.com by Abdulnasir Jangda called Khushu' in Focus... I found it very beneficial... Fi Amaani'Laah

Salaam My jeans/pants under my abaya feel the best at any season... i got sick of all the glittery black abayas with unwanted materials hanging from them... so i opted for fabrics from JoAnn's and a great tailor... i even find scarves that go with my abayas! Cheap and totally authentic since it's my creation... I love it!!! Try fabric stores sistah... Fi Amaani'Laah

Originally posted by Che -Guevara: Honest-How can one respect you if you don't respect yourself? I don't understand! What does this mean? Prince of Punt... lol, I'll go and ask them that question! In the mean time, I'll worry about how to make money offering a service in demand! Fi Amaani'Laah

Originally posted by Prince of Punt: and let's be honest the sisters in the aforementioned stories would not marry a Somali brother even if he was a Sahaba, any of those excuses used by them where they degrade the Somali male demographic is just them second guessing their decision, and through the demonisation of Somali men they justify to themselves that this lifetime companion they have chosen was the right one. This feeling last for a year or two and then the inner demons start chipping away, because nobody can sustain an act for too long. The proper sisters who married reverts and don't feel the need to justify themselves or explain their decision by degrading their fathers and brothers are usually the ones who are at peace with themselves and their surroundings. If i married an Indonesian muslim girl, i would do this, because i most likely LOVE HER AS A PERSON, and i'm ATTRACTED TO HER LOOKS, why the hell would i need to start talking crap about Somali women in general when they have nothing to do with how i feel about this Indonesian sister? If i degraded Somali women to justify my decision to marry an Indonesian girl, wouldn't it reflect badly on myself? Wouldn't it look like i have personal issues and a big chip on my shoulder? Yeah it would! Therefore is my opinion on the Somali community and Somali women really credible as a result? A BIG FAT NO!! And actually I totally agree with these two paragraphs here... There are some Somalis completely not interested in other Somalis simply because they are Somali... I call this identity crisis... and I was also not speaking for those... May Allah protect us from such issues and give us confidence in ourselves and the good ones of our people... Fi Amaani'Laah

Originally posted by Prince of Punt: You expect to find a pious brother by going to the club?, hang in the mall?, visit a one-ethnic group dominated mosque?, yeah good luck with that! Unbelievable, i would never utter nonsense like; ''Where are they, where are the good Somali sisters?'', because i have seen hundreds of them, including my own kin, and all of them with good successful Somali men. The fact that there are some Somali brothers marrying revert sisters doesn't mean i have to start wondering why they couldn't find a ''good Somali woman'', that's such a logical fallacy. and let's be honest the sisters in the aforementioned stories would not marry a Somali brother even if he was a Sahaba, any of those excuses used by them where they degrade the Somali male demographic is just them second guessing their decision, and through the demonisation of Somali men they justify to themselves that this lifetime companion they have chosen was the right one. This feeling last for a year or two and then the inner demons start chipping away, because nobody can sustain an act for too long. The proper sisters who married reverts and don't feel the need to justify themselves or explain their decision by degrading their fathers and brothers are usually the ones who are at peace with themselves and their surroundings. If i married an Indonesian muslim girl, i would do this, because i most likely LOVE HER AS A PERSON, and i'm ATTRACTED TO HER LOOKS, why the hell would i need to start talking crap about Somali women in general when they have nothing to do with how i feel about this Indonesian sister? If i degraded Somali women to justify my decision to marry an Indonesian girl, wouldn't it reflect badly on myself? Wouldn't it look like i have personal issues and a big chip on my shoulder? Yeah it would! Therefore is my opinion on the Somali community and Somali women really credible as a result? A BIG FAT NO!! There are millions of happy and unhappy Somali Couples versus a few hundred Happy and unhappy mixed couples, by the end of 2100 there will be 100 million Somali men and women, so i really don't see why you are looking for a solution to a non-issue. and lol@ you actually taking NNC's hearsay comment as the 'truth', this is just her lashing back at Scarface 's comments. This whole debate is just another example in the epic Somali 'battle of the Sexes'. The ''Megalomaniacs'' of the Y-chromosome side seek to dominate the women in everything they do and hence dispute their god given right to marry whomever they wish, because according to them that's a exclusive Somali male priveledge. The ''What have you done for me Lately?'' XX-chromosome side because of various reasons such as lack of appreciation, or ''he doesn't bring us flowers'' want to press home the point that there are plenty of fish in the Sea. yawn walahi! By going to the club! Are you serious? Is it me or are assumptions being made here? Walaalo when we say the Somali sisters/brothers can marry who ever they choose, we are completely ignoring that we have parents that would really hate for us to marry outside our race. If we are interested in pleasing our parents while not compromising our interests we are going to run into a wall that acts as a barrier in meeting suitable spouses. Yes there is a problem when people talk like Somali brothers and sisters run into each others randomly in the streets, at work places, coffee shops and even masaajid. There are traditional and Islamic ways of meeting and going about the process of marriage that many Somalis have drifted away from while still wanting to keep things traditional and/or Islamic. Some of my close friends have married reverts and they are happy and I definitely don't see it as a problem. But I see a problem when I see some of my sincerely interested to marry pious sisters preferring only Somali brothers but not knowing how to meet them! I hope you understand where I'm coming from, because if you did you really would not have assumed that I argue for the clubbing sisters! Subxanna Allah, bal maxaa igalay naag club joogta iyo guurkeeda! Fi Amaani'Laah

Originally posted by Prince of Punt: It amuses me when some people try to justify the decisions of these sisters, with the reason that there aren't enough 'good Somali men' around, when its their god given right to marry whomever they wish to hitch with. The reason a revert would find it easier to approach the Somali community than lets say a Pakistani/Moroccan or Kurdish community is because Somali men don't resort to twisted things like intimidation or worse honor killings, matter fact in terms of the Global Islamic community, traditionaly we are probably one of the most liberal male groups, yet when i read similar topics on Islamic forums it's always us being demonised for whatever reason. I'm afraid my point was totally missed! I can repeat though, no problem. I did not say there are NO good Somali brothers... I said, WHERE are they? Where do the sisters find them? The problem to me is the medium in which they meet and interact. We are mentioning stories of sisters not wanting Somali men because they don't speak Somali and Somali brothers becoming baby dadies with non-Muslims and I'm thinking: are we going to judge one another based on what a number of inexperienced/foolish/ignorant ones do? It becomes a session of blaming then... and I was more interested in problem/solution typa discussion here... Like, what is the real root cause of the problem (if it is a problem, and i actually see some of it as a problem) and what can we do to solve it? Insha Allah I made some sense! Fi Amaani'Laah

Originally posted by chocolate & honey: Well, the District I work for is offering a new program where parents take a class once a week for 7 weeks and at the end of the 7 weeks they earn a diploma. I taught one of the classes and it is pretty informative.It makes a huge difference. The parents who graduated from the class are much more involved now. But I woder if those parents would come if they werent offered transportation(a taxi to pick them up and drop them off), a nice dinner and a potential scholorship. Masha Allah, may Allah bless your efforts abaayo... Allah put you in the right spot walaahi. I think the solution to these issues we are having as Somalis being new and totally uninformed immigrants is for the professionals to step up and become creative in the way we offer our expertise to our communities... there are horror stories in every field and the Somali professionals can get so much out of contributing to the community whether it is reward from Allah, or a very bright career future that puts them in the sought after caliber... Fi Amaani'Laah

Originally posted by Mr. Gello: Since it’s the Somali-women hate season, I thought I might as well add to the hatred by voicing something which has bugged me for sometime now. Lately there has been a tendency for Somali women to marry Muslim reverts. Although as a practicing man, I have nothing but love and respect for the marriage of Muslim sisters to Muslim brothers. I am concerned by the extent to which Somali women throw themselves towards any new revert to Islam in the hope of a marriage made in heaven. This is a worrying phenomenon and I think its very important we safe-guard the marriage of Somali women to Somali men. Why are young Somali sisters intent on marrying any new revert. What’s wrong with the plenty of good Somali men out there? As a Somali man, I have to admit, Somali men have plenty of short-comings but this shouldn’t mean that Somali women have marry other men of different races to find a successful Muslim men. My suggestion is Somali women need to be optimistic and realize there are plenty of successful Somali men out there! there are plenty of successful Somali men out there! Marrying other races induces nothing but problems and we need to put a stop to this worrying phenomenon before its gets out of hand! Cheers Mr. Gello And where are the plenty of practicing Somali brothers willing to marry these girls? I only read your opening and jumped to responding, sorry if I repeat what others might have said... But really, I see a looooot of amazing sisters whose simple desire is to get married to a practicing Somali man... someone who has courage to do it the Islamic way... my Somali brothers are not stepping up to these sisters... but the non-Somalis are, like flock... Whether you are Somali or Non, there are problems in marriage... so I would not discourage this phenomena for that particular reason... I know the desire to marry within your culture is a natural one... and walaahi a lot of these sisters would rather have a Somali man, but they just don't see them... how can we then blame them? Should we ask them to approach the men? Should we ask them to become second wives to already taken great Somali men? Or should we ask them to remain single when they know their their natural feelings have kicked in? Or should we think about another creative solution to this serious problem? (If you consider it a problem that is) Both our men and our women need a paradigm shift in the way they approach marriage and the PROCESS of marriage! Of course this applies to those who sincerely want marriage and won't compromise on the blessings that come from Allah when done properly! Fi Amaani'Laah

Loooool@ Prince Punt and 2+2=5... What books are ya'll writing? Now I'm interested to know! And please don't include me in this dagaal!

Originally posted by Blessed.*: I think it's lazy parenting!! There are ****** kids, drugs, alcohol, criminal activity everywhere. The grass is not greener over there . There might'nt even be grass over there . They need to deal with their problems head on. Toootally agree! I have to share this story with you guys... I work with a group of young girls and yesterday I found out one of my favorite ones, she's 13 years old, has memorized the Quran and has already completely revised it 4 times and working on her 5th time. I was astonished! Her mom is probably few years older than I, she has 6 kids and is pregnant with the 7th child, typical Somali mommy! I had to interview the mother and her advice was simply wow... She said you have to BE what you want your children to BECOME! The things she told me about her life walaahi put tears in my eyes... if only mothers and fathers learned these principles of parenting, it will never matter where they raise their children, it can be in the White House for all I care and these children will come out strong, in every aspect of their lives... Fi Amaani'Laah

^^Salaam habeebti! I currently work as a teacher assistant at a school where like 90% of the students are Somali... I didn't go to school for education, but I find working with kids so amazingly rewarding... Like HC said, subhanna Allah when you help a child show off his effort you really get happy in the head... There are issues though, similar to what Blessed mentioned, Somalis don't pay too much attention to the emotional/social/physical development... but even when they realize their child is missing something, they expect the teachers and administrators to take care of the child, and sadly I'm realizing some of these teachers and administrators don't care about specific students, rather they care about the results of standardized exams. Who is stuck and lost in the middle? The poor Somali child? There is a serious need for Somali qualified teachers to teach not just the students, but also the Somali parents because they need help understanding the education system... And they need parenting education too... which is a toootally different topic i'm sure... I see some of the things Somali parents do to their kids, out of good intentions sometimes, but the effects on the child really breaks my heart... May Allah help us... Fi Amaani'Laah

Yeah no one is perfect, but there is perfect enough for your taste... this is when you are content with the person and love them even though you are aware of their shortcomings... it's like loving yourself even though you know you are not perfect... lol@NNC, so your perfect enough means he's got $$$! Sistah may I please request to be removed from that generalization! Even though you say this, I'm sure you would leave a millionaire guy if u were not happy with him. Fi Amaani'Laah

Ya Allah, this is so sad! Why are some of us so negative about marriage? Why are we so fond of dating? One is Halal the other is Haram! One is secure the other insecure! Dating vs. Marriage? Is this is even a logical alternative? We R MUSLIM for god's sake! Someone said 2-3 years to avoid broken hearts... i say 2-3 years: a recipe for a broken heart! Fi Amaani'Laah

Originally posted by Aaliyah416: Bad women are for bad men and bad men for bad women. Good women are for good men and good men for good women. such (good people) are innocent of (every) bad statement which they say; for them is forgiveness, and generous provision (i.e Paradise). (Surah AL-NUR verse 26) Always keep that in mind.. salaam And if nothing encourages us to be good but this ayah when it comes to preparing ourselves for a life partner, it should be enough... Walaahi we get nothing but what we deserve, in good or bad... we make the investment, we reap the profits! I wanted to add, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala when he talks about the pleasures we get in Jannah, it is clearly stated that men get virgin women that were never touched before by man or jinn... If we reflect on this, why would Allah reward with something unless He knows it's a deeply rooted desire? Allah is the one who planted it there, so He knows best right? What I'm trying to say is that it is a natural thing for men to want and desire a virgin. Let's not think of it as outdated... it's 2010 but we are still human like Allah created us.... As for marrying a girl that is not virgin... Chocolate and Honey stated it so well subhanna Allah... if the man cares, the man needs to ask, and if the woman is honest she won't find her self divorced after a week... Since this is important to men, I really think us sisters need to be honest with ourselves and be confident with who we are weather virgin or not... What scares me is how many young girls I see from working with the youth that give up virginity because the boy she loves told her he will marry her... Allah created us women as emotionally beings... it's not low self-esteem only that results in sleeping with a man... it's this added weakness that even a girl with a high self esteem and confidence might find herself in the arms of the wrong man... and only when we live the rules of Allah do we find happiness... May Allah protect us all... Fi Amaani'Laah

Originally posted by Daandurreey: Is this different from wearing gold, pretty hijab, nice perfume, or driving a nice car? They all bring attention to the woman and her beauty. Subhanna Allah, this statement reminded me of the tafseer for the verse in Surat alBaqara in which Allah prohibits Riba... those who consume it will try to defend themselves by saying: trade is just like riba... While they know it is not; but they only say this because they are no longer sane... May Allah guide us to the straight path.. Ameen. The discussion was about Riba... these people jump to say well Trade is JUST LIKE Riba... you can almost hear them add: why don't you make it haraam yaa Allah. Do you see why they are lost? Let's focus on the topic in hand... Allah said wear Hijab... he did not say O' Women; stay away from Attention! The statement above sounds like this: A nice car is JUST LIKE nice hair? Sometimes I wonder why people who want to raise arguments against Allah and the Quran are not creative? Fi Amaani'Laah

^^ I was wondering about that too... jazaka Allah khair... I guess another thing that I'd like to emphasize from the article is to have your plans and goals set for the next year... really take the time to set your priorities, and consistently make dua for all the things you want to accomplish this year... Focus on 4: Salah, Quran, Dhikr and Dua... Especially Salah as it combines all the the other ebadas... May Allah accept our good deeds... Fi Amaani'Laah

"Cleanse" - The Ramadan Experience Zaara grew up in the perfect Muslim home; her parents were God-fearing and religious and taught her everything they knew about Islam. They were very involved in community work, Da'wah and they always looked for opportunities to fill up their books of good deeds. As Zaara grew up, she followed in her parents' footsteps. In short, she was really proud of being blessed with such good parents, and they were proud to have brought up a daughter like her. Living Islam and preaching Islam was something that came naturally to her. She didn't need a force that would empower her from within to live the way she did; it had never occurred to her why she did something, or stayed away from something. After she finished High School, she traveled overseas so she could pursue her Duniyawi Ilm. Her parents always reminded her of sticking to the dheen wherever she went. And in a way, she did pay heed to their advice. But now Zaara felt there was something missing in her life; she felt as though she led 2 different lives. One: the life her Lord Almighty and her parents wanted to live. She still continued to do what she did as she grew up- holding halaqaat, calling people to the truth, encouraging people to practice. In fact, her naseeha and advice made deep impact on the people she spoke to, than on herself. Her words were always profound, made people think and ponder, she spoke with feeling, from deep within- but she always felt that there was some major core of the heart where the "Eman" just didn't touch her. And she felt that this struggle to actually feel close to Allah was her second life. And then one day, something happened. On her way to school, as she was crossing the street, yes- that's what happened. A reckless driver who had the music system in his car in booming volume (and hence, intoxicated) hit her. Zaara became unconscious, and when she regained her senses, she was in the hospital, and her legs were in traction. She had multiple fractures in her ribs and other bruises. Her eyes felt heavy. And she drifted back to sleep, on effect of the anesthesia. The next couple of days were a blur for her. On the third day, however, she felt her renewed energy level come back to her, and she was transferred to the normal ward. As she lay in her hospital bed, with her right leg still in traction, and her room lit because of the full moon shimmering through the curtains, she suddenly felt something that overpowered her pain and aches. An emotion so strong that it was as though the moon light had penetrated into her heart, and it reflected back. but this light was brighter than the moon light itself. She suddenly knew why she was there. She felt totally at peace and this brought a big smile on her lips. She whispered out loud: Allahu As-salaam, Huwa Al-Haakim (Allah is The Bestower of peace, He is the Wise). Of course, she always knew the meaning, and she had always said this too. But this time, it was different. She understood it in its profanity, in a deeper and a higher level. Allah SWT had chosen her to be cleansed through her trials. Allah Azza Wajal knew that her soul had been searching for knowing Her Lord more. All of us have such moments, sometimes in situations of hardships; sometimes when things go perfectly and there is joy around. Whatever the situation, we treasure these moments and crave for more. That is the fitrah of mankind that Allah SWT has blessed him with. We find comfort in being close to our Lord, in knowing Him more, and being His sincere slave in total submission. And that is why we love Ramadan!!! In Ramadan, we experience more "cleanse"-ing moments than at other times. Ramadan burns away our sins and bad thoughts and scars in the soul just as the extreme scorching heat of the Sun burns away matter. We feel that Ramadan just peeps in, and then rushes off. We never seem to get enough of it, SubhanAllah. (Let's do some serious soul search like Zaara, and then Allah will bring us closer to Him, and cleanse our souls. Let's not just think about this in Ramadan; at the same time, lets do our best now- Alhamdulillah He has blessed us with this month now.) We live in an age where luxury has become necessities of life. We have a lot of everything- our refrigerator is full, our wardrobe is full, every family has 2 vehicles (both the latest models in most cases)- all but lesser time to reflect upon Nature and its Creator. We need to stop ourselves from our daily, busy, monotonous flow of things happening, and really think. Think so that we can cleanse ourselves, and experience the bliss of connecting more firmly with Our Lord. Cleanse....cleanse your souls of sins, negative thoughts and unnecessary, lingering emotions- But How?! Cleanse the way Prophet Yunus Alaihiwassalam cleansed his soul when he was inside the whale. The way he had repented to Allah Subhanahu wa tha'ala with utmost humility and proved that he was in real need of Allah's Mercy. Cleanse the way we open up to the Majesty of Our Lord Almighty. 1. Pray Qiyamu-al-Layl and make lots of duah: We have to let go of our ego, really humble ourselves as much as we can, and talk to Allah. Raise our hands and beg Allah. Your Lord is the Only One worthy of this begging. We do not have to beg anyone else to achieve some worldly gain. Let's remember and try to visualize how we will stand before Allah in the Mahshara on the Day of Judgment (and remember that the real picture is nothing like how we visualize.) 2. Count our Blessings- how we should actually show gratitude: Alhamdulillahi Rabb-il-'Aalameen. Isn't it one of the greatest blessings that Allah Subhanahu wa tha'ala gave us yet another chance to experience Ramadan (May Allah give us all long lives, and many more Ramadan's that will be beneficial for our Hereafter, aameen), in spite of our lack of sincerity and negligence in the other months. We have to really value it, and treat it like the most honored guest of the year. If we do so, then inshAllah we will habituate the art of treating the less honored guests (the other 11 months) also with considerable love and zeal. 3. Remember Qur'an is the theme of this month. Fasting has been prescribed for you in order that you main acquire Taqwa (Surah Al-Baqara: 183) - so that you may become more conscious of Allah, so that we may center our lives with the love of Allah. And when we love someone, truly love someone- we pay heed to His words. The theme of Ramadan is Quran. The Quran was revealed in the month of Ramadan, and by fasting and other increased Ibadah, we show gratitude to Allah Azza Wajal for revealing the Quran to us. And The Book introduces itself to us that it is a Guidance for those who have Taqwa. (Surah Al Baqara:2) So, Taqwa and Guidance, and Ramadan and Quran are all connected and intermingled with each other. 4. Ramadan Special goal-setting: This is the best time to train ourselves to make our whole life surrounded by our purpose in life. It is the best time to start good habits, and make stronger the base of our old habits (the good ones). Allah has blessed this month so much that He SWT chains the devils- so isn't this the best time to get rid of bad habits too. Set 2 special goals that we can accomplish, 2 things that will help us grow better bi idhnillah; that will raise our level in the Sight of Allah Azza Wajal. If we find it difficult, we have to keep striving. Practice, practice and more practice. What we are, is represented by what we do. Let's imagine it as mountain climbing, and bi idhnillah, if we reach this mountain peak, we have reached our goal. (till you spot another more promising mountain to climb!) We have to do what it takes to get to the pinnacle. We have to cultivate the habit of journalis-ing our special goals. And keeping a track of it. Seeing is believing and often, a moment of realization. When we see it on paper, the result itself critiques us, it will connect with our souls and provide further motivation. Make a Ramadan special schedule: Because of how blessed this month is, believe you me, we can do more than we ever did in the other months. Allah SWT has put so much blessing in this time. There is a special blessing in our physical strength and stamina too. Its all about the struggle to get organized and make the best use of our time, especially if one has little kids at home. The keyword is: do jihad, strive and don't give up. Maybe everything wouldn't have gone the way we wanted on the first day of Ramadan, but we learn from experience, and make each day better. 5. Don't carry excess baggage: "Be in this world as is you are a wayfarer" - Can the one who is traveling carry more than the necessary? Can he afford to have a lot of excess baggage- most probably he will have to pay (duty/excess baggage) for it. So what all can we avoid and what should we carry, especially in Ramadan? a. Too much food can do harm and prevent us from excelling in our Ibadah- We have to pay heed to the one-third rule- "One-third water, one-third food and one-third air". This is what the Prophet Sallallahu alaihi wassalam advised us. Too much food means too much time wasted in the kitchen- so time subtracted from "Ibadah time". Too much food will make us sleepy, and we cannot stay up late or wake up in the middle of the night to pray Taraweeh or Qiyam-u-layl. Eating too much food especially in Ramadan even opposes one of the purpose of fasting which is feeling for the poor. The generosity boost we feel in Ramadan to feed should not be directed to our own stomach, rather the poor. Follow the sunnah of Prophet Sallallahu alaihiwassalam of having a lot of dates and water. Water is the elixir of life- the one that keeps us going. Instead of having all those oil-fried items- have ones that are water-filled-like fruits and greens. b. Over-socialising in the month of Ramadan- Keep your conversations over the phone and or in the masjid after Taraweeh to a minimum. InshAllah, we will keep it for Eid when we will celebrate with our loved ones. Time lost in idle talk cannot be brought back. This is one of the main regrets we have when Ramadan comes to a end- the regret whether we have utilised our time well or not. At the same time, have company around you who are the bearers of the fragrance of musk. Have a Ramadan buddy with whom you can discuss how well you are doing in your ibadah, so that you can motivate each other. Let the people we are with, be the ones who will take us with them on the journey to Allah SWT. c. And most of all, we have to develop a good heart, a good soul and a content mind. We have to strive to push away our negative thoughts and emotions and doubts/ suspicions about others. A person who has accomplished this will have the most heart warming smile, a smile that can make someone's day, a smile that is da'wah for others. Now is the best time to bring out the hidden positive attitude inside us. Let's succeed bi idhnillah, in eliminating unnecessary stuff from our bags and fill it with good stuff that will be allowed to pass through the Siraat-ul-mustaqueem without any repurcussions. Let's hurry and race for good deeds when their reward is on sale. Let's sincerely repent to Allah Azza Wajal and erase all our bad recording with the Mercy of Our Lord. May Allah accept our humble good deeds and our fasting and prayers from us, and forgive us our sins, and enter us all into Jannathul Firdaws without any ihtisaab(questioning ). May the gate of the fasters (Ar-rayyan) close to us for us to enter through it (and all the other gates too). May Allah SWT bless us with good health and long lives so that we can do more ibadah and please Our Lord more and more. Aameen... Inspired by Sr Heba AlShareef (Her "Cleanse" talk on iamsheba radio launch)- may Allah preserve and increase her. striving source

Originally posted by Blessed*: Xabiiiiiiiiiibty! Wa alaykum Assalaam warrahmatullah. Oh. my.. miss you so much, sweetie. Bal ii soo warran, baryahan xaalkaagu wa culusyahay baan umalaynayaa. The heartwheel is so awesome, Masha Allah. I need to get some paper and get printing Insha Allah. Jizaak Allah for the reminder. I missed you abaayo! I feel like a weirdo... gone for a long time then appears out of no where! lol... Anyway, i'll msg you my email! You don't have to print it anymore... he made it all online and it is automated.. Fi Amaani'Laah

Assalaamu alaykum wa rahmatullah... I read the verse in Surat alAnam yesterday; and I remember stopping and thinking; wow, how could we lie about Allah subhannahu wa tacala! Then today I'm at work and my coworder says: "I have hick ups and I'm fasting!" I jokingly looked at her and said: "Astaghfuru Allah, Ittaqi Allah.."! She then said to me: "Waylakum la taftaru ala Allahi kadhiba.." Woe to you; do not create lies upon Allah subhanna wa tacala.. So my thoughts were: sometimes we really look at others and their actions to see if they are falling into the errors Allah warns against... but we need to stop and question our actions, thoughts and statements... My neices love asking me; is it haraam to do this and that... Sometimes we might find kids being told something is haraam, simply because we don't approve of it. Yet we don't have any proof from the Quran and the Sunnah or statements of ahlul alcilm saying it is haraam... So may Allah protect us and continue to guide us to the siraatul mustaqeem... Fi Amaani'Laah