Poetry: Kill Them With Love

I found the following video quite amazing, it is poetry spoken by brother Boonaa Mohammed. It highlights how the character of a Muslim should be towards those who are hostile in an excellent poetic verses.

Show me a stranger and I'll show you a friend that you haven't met yet,
Plus any obstacle in the way of anything is usually one of the prices of success,
And people are more than numbers; to crack a smile is really no stress
Divide my time like economics, I love to say high and buy less
Multiply first impressions by everything you might have guessed
Prejudice takes time, but my time is business
And this just makes big dollars and cents
Why would you hate, when love just costs less
In fact the muscles it takes to make a frown,
Make more work than to just turn it upside down
But why do you hate it when I'm polite, can't stand when I'm sincere
Calling me all these names wondering why I'm still just standing here,
Mainly because your ignorance leaves me to believe that you really just need a hug,
And I've been unstoppable ever since I learned to kill them with love
I am a psychotic serial lover, seriously considering only complementing our mothers
Because wither you like it or not, I am your brother
A teddy-bear terrorist, chilling with my well-mannered crew
Yeah you a racist, but I'ma still hold the door open for you
Cause seriously dude, no need for the attitude
I aint made at you, I have bad days too
Here's my celly, let's talk, I'ma great listener too
Family driving you crazy, I know how they do,
I love kids, hit me up, I could be your babysitter too
Yeah boy, cause I'm nice like that
I'll even watch your car if you promise that you'll be right back
So relax and be cool, no point in lying to you,
I am a servant and my master sees all that I do
So tell me what you need dude, a dollar, here take two
Achooo, May Allah bless you, guide you and make things easy for you
This respect thing, it's just what I do
And its past tolerating, it's on the path of understanding and appreciating you,
So what you gonna do when the love comes for you
Insult my heritage, we both from Adam and Eve fool
Ahhh, snap, how you like that,
You gave me extra change and I gave it right back
I let people pass when they wanna switch lanes,
Cause if it was me, I hope they would do the same
You butchered my name, but it's A ok
It happens all the time, I won't correct you anyways
And it may sound strange, but I'ma be that change
Improve everyday, to prove rudeness is lame
I believe in modesty and trying to lower my gaze
And if everything is from above than everything is the same
I aint impressed by money, cars, clothes or fame
I am a Muslim, so the trinkets of the world don't mean a thing
I was taught that peace is not that absence of war
But peace, is a feeling that comes from remembering your Lord
So for the sake of peace, there is no point in hating me anymore
It's a big place; we can all live together in this world
I invite you all to join this Jihad of love
And see why fundamentalism still begins with fun
And if you don't agree, I won't even judge,
I just kill you all,
with the love

Two Types of Beauty

I have extracted and translated the following  from Rowdhatul Muhibeen by Ibnul Qayyim rahimahullah:

Know that beauty is divided in to two types: (1) exoteric (outward) beauty (2) intrinsic (inward) beauty.

The inward beauty is loved because of itself (i.e. if a person was only inwardly beautiful, that would be enough for him to become loved also). And inward beauty compromises of knowledge, intelligence, generosity, chastity, courage etc. The inward beauty in essence is what Allah Ta’ala focuses upon in relation to his slave and it is the object of His (Allah’s Ta’ala) love. This has been related in the Sahih Hadith, “Indeed, Allah Ta’ala does not look at your appearance or your wealth but rather, he looks at your hearts and your deeds.” (Muslim)

Thereafter, there is the outward appearance; It is the beauty that Allah Ta’ala has specifically given to some (in their appearance) in preference of others. This is known as the increase in mould/creation as Allah Ta’ala says, “And He increases in creation what He wills” (Surah Fatir). Outward beauty compromises of a beautiful voice, a beautiful appearance. It has been narrated in Sahih Muslim from Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam that “A person who has an iota of pride will not enter Jannah.” The companions radiallahu anhum said, “O Rasulullah! Is it considered pride if a man loves that his shoes are nice and that his clothes are nice?” Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam said, “Indeed Allah is beautiful and He loves beauty. Pride is to turn away from the truth and to belittle people.”

In the way inward beauty is a bounty from Allah, in the same way outward beauty is also a great bounty from Allah Ta’ala. It is something which requires a person to make thanks to Allah Ta’ala for. If the slave thanks Allah Ta’ala by preserving himself and being fearful of falling into Haraam, his beauty will increase. If he uses his beauty in sinful activities than this will affect his outward appearance in some way in the worldly life before the hereafter: His beauty will change into ugliness, whosoever sees him will immediately hate him. Every single person who does not dear Allah ‘azza wa jal in regards to his beauty will find it changed to ugliness in front of the people.

Indeed, inward beauty prevails over being outwardly ugly and this inward beauty guises the ugliness (i.e. nobody realises how ugly the person is because they recognise his character to be so good). And indeed, being inwardly ugly prevails over outward beauty as it guises the outward beauty (i.e. it does not matter how beautiful a person is, if his intrinsic qualities are bad then despite his beauty, everyone will recognise him to be a arrogant pretty boy etc).

A poet says:

“O the one who is beautiful faced, stay away from vulgarity. Do not change your beauty with ugliness.

O the one who is ugly faced, at least be of good character! Do not collect two repulsive attributes together!”

May Allah Ta’ala give us the ability to be inwardly beautiful and use our outward beauty correctly. Ameen. Ya Rabbal Alameen.

Picture of the Month - February 2012

Praying in Congregation

Praying in congregation is wajib upon every Muslim man. Allah Ta'ala mentions in the Qur'an, "And bow your head with those who bow (in worship)"

Similarly, Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam has said, "It better to join another person and pray than to pray alone and it is more superior in the company of two men and the bigger the congregation the more liked it is by Allah." (Abu Dawud)

It has also been narrated in Bukhari & Muslim that congregational prayers are 27 ranks above an individual prayer in virtue.

May Allah Ta'ala give us the ability to pray our Salaah in congregation. Ameen.

EVENT: Surah Yusuf Tafseer- PART 2

UCLU ISLAMIC SOCIETY PRESENTS
ONE DAY INTENSIVE - PART 2 OF THE TAFSEER OF SURAH YUSUF

SATURDAY 4TH FEBRUARY 2012
10AM-5.30PM

Shaykh Abdus-Subhan Dalvi (Graduate of Jamia Siraj ul Uloom)

TICKETS: £5 FOR COURSE MATERIALS & LUNCH

LIMITED SPACES LEFT!!! ONLY A WEEK LEFT!!
REGISTER TICKETS BY E-MAILING UCLU ISLAMIC SOCIETY: mail@uclisoc.com OR ALTERNATIVELY PURCHASE TICKETS ONLINE FROM THE LINKS PROVIDED BELOW.

Come to the final session of the tafseer of Surah Yusuf; with only 40 verses done, there are 71 verses left of this enthralling surah to be completed. There are still many lessons of patience, love, marriage, trust, envy etc. to be learnt!

Tickets to the Tafsir of Surah Yusuf Part 2 are now available to buy from the link below:

For those that attended the first part of the course it will cost you only £2.50 to cover lunch. Please buy from the following link: http://uclu.org/shop/product_info.php?cPath=36&products_id=1944

For those that did not attend the first part of the course it will cost you only £5 for course material + lunch. Please buy from the following link: http://uclu.org/shop/product_info.php?cPath=36&products_id=1942

JazakAllahu Khair
--
UCLU Islamic Society

Contact: mail@uclisoc.com Website: www . uclisoc . com

Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye!

I am sure at some point in your life, you have met a person who you felt was a well wisher; only to have your trust in them obliterated. Perhaps you have been ‘that person’ in the past who betrayed the trusts of people who trusted you most. Maybe you still are that person, from whose tongue every person is wary.

Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam said in one hadith related in Al Adabul Mufrad, "The worst person is someone who is two-faced. He is the person who comes to one group of people with one face and another group of people with another face."

This hadith highlights the situation of a person who transforms and changes his colours like a chameleon. An example of this could be of a person whom you consider to be your friend; he constantly says well to you and does good to you and as soon as he has left your company, he tells other people things which you would not like them to hear whether it be abuse, secrets, lies etc.

Such people are transformers! There is more to them than meets the eye. A person should remain vigilant as to who these people are in his life. And as soon as he finds out who they are, he should keep his distance from them. This is not to say that he totally breaks off connection from him but rather that he remains prudent in relation to himself i.e. he does not go and tell that ‘transformer’ all of his secrets and have a deep, heart warming conversations with him.

Every person knows the state of their own Iman. A person may appear pious or sinful in front of the people but only Allah Ta’ala and that individual knows the state of his belief. We may be able to deceive the people and at times we may even be able to deceive ourselves in relation to piety but we can never deceive Allah Ta’ala.

It is thus important to peer into one’s own life and try finding instances where he has ‘transformed’ into a two faced person and has spread lies to cause hurt and disunity. Malik Ibn Dinar rahimahullah would say, “When you see that your heart has become hard, your body has become weak and that your sustenance has become Haram; know that you have spoken in regards to those matters which did not concern you!”

Likewise, Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam has mentioned a great caution for that person who likes to push his foul speech around like an Asda trolley! Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam has mentioned, "The person who has two faces in this world will have two tongues of the Fire on the Day of Rising.”

Thus there are many things we can do to save ourselves from falling into this category:

1. Stop betraying trusts

2. Stop spreading rumours

3. Stop spreading lies

4. Stop causing disunity/fights between two people

5. Staying away from such situations

6. Ponder over our speech

7. Apologise to those people whom we have hurt

8. Try to fix relations we have broken

9. Fix a penalty of some sadaqah every time we happen to slip up

10. Seek forgiveness from Allah Ta’ala.

Just don’t be that person who causes hurt wherever he goes; who disunites people by the weight of his tongue; who lies to satisfy his itching and devours the respect of people in the manner a serpent savages its prey. You are not that person; so don’t be. Be free from hate and cooled by patience, calm in disposition and aware of speech; be forgiving and shine with humility. All you need to do is put a full stop on your last evil speech and place a line under it. Now begin a new chapter and fill it with goodness.

May Allah Ta’ala protect us and give us the ability to use our tongues correctly. Ameen.