About The Muslimahs News & Views Around The WORLD:

THIS is a new program that I have in mind the first reason is to give viewers especially Muslimahs around the globe their own program and links to theirs. The rest is up to you to manage them.
It could start off in a simple Islamic article that you have, and other news about activities by Muslimahs anywhere, yes just anywhere and even in your own home. I always have the great confidence towards Muslimmahs that they could make this webpage a successful story to tell to others.Insha-Allahu Ta'ala.
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NEWS:

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Articles:
sister Hayat Anne Osman:
(first article)
From (1) sister Hayat Anne Osman and(2)sister J from the Islamic soul.com

LOOKING FOR LIGHT

My metaphorical journey to Islam: For years I struggled in a benighted plain. I was not alone; in fact, this plain was full of fellow-creatures, all wandering in the darkness, working and loving and trying to find their way, but all lacking direction, all living by hearsay, by superstition, and trying to convince each other that this was right, that this was all there was, that it was the only way, the only place, to live.

One time I heard a rumor, a whisper, of a place where there was Light. I didn't really understand what Light was. But it sounded wonderful: imagine being able to see clearly, to be able to see what one was doing, and why, to see where one was in the landscape, to understand something of the layout, of the way things were put together and how they worked.

I discussed this Light with some of my shadowy companions. Most said it was a superstition, a fairy tale. Some said worse, that it was a perversion of the truth, even an outright lie, concocted to deceive the gullible.

Once in a while, someone told me something positive about it, and I began to hope that one day I would find out for myself. In my directionless rambling, I eventually came to what appeared to be a hill. I worked my way through the underbrush and, looking up, found that it was instead a raised road, like a Roman causeway. It ran, straight as an arrow, as far as I could see. Curious, I began to climb up to it. This wasn't easy, in the gloom, and the people below kept pulling at me, calling me, telling me it was dangerous, that I might fall, might be separated from them forever, that bad people inhabited the hill, people who would strip me of my freedom, maybe even of my soul. As I continued, my erstwhile companions dropped their pose of selfless concern and turned ugly, telling me I was making an irretrievable mistake, that I was a fool, was being led astray by my own folly.

I didn't pay much attention; I had caught a glimpse of something wonderful; a glow, a glimmer. I thought that it just possibly might be Light.

I found I was carrying too much with me, though, burdens of doubt and prejudice and false pride. I wasn't that enamored of them, but they were all I had ever owned, and it was hard to let them go. Once I had dropped the first one, however, the relief was so intense, my ascent rendered so much easier, that it was only a matter of time until I had discarded almost all. (I suspect I may still have a few secreted about my person; I'm still not as light as I'd like to be. When I figure out which pockets I put them in, I'm going to turn those pockets out and kick their contents back into the darkness.)

As I neared the summit, I began to hear voices. I thought one was telling me to "read", and I didn't really understand. I couldn't see. How could I read? But I could perceive a sort of flickering above me now, and kept working my way towards it.

Shapes passed above me. The voices were clearer than before. I was frightened. I wanted to call out, but who would answer? Why should the people up there welcome me, a creature from the night? What made me think they would accept me, when they had each other and their Light?

Someone shouted from below, "Turn back! It's too hard! It'll be easy to fall back to us, to the places and people and ways you know." I was tempted for about a nanosecond before I said to myself, "I don't care. I have to find out what that Light is."

When I had almost reached the lip of the precipice, I found the slope too steep to climb alone, and realized that I could only make it with help from someone above. I took a deep breath and called out, something silly like, "Hello, the road! What's it like up there?"

A voice answered, and began very patiently to tell me the best things I had ever heard.

Looking for Light, Part 2
At one point, I got restless. I wanted to rush, to heave myself over the edge. The voice counseled me to wait until I was sure, and I began to understand that in one way at least those below were right, that it was a major thing, that once I ascended the last few feet I would have a new vision, a new view, that nothing would ever be the same again.

And then suddenly I knew that I had to do it, that it was right, that, having come so far, fought so hard, I could not fall back, that it was worth it, to have a hope of finding Light. I summoned all my courage and shouted, "I want to come up! Help me! Help me!"

Instantly, a dozen hands reached down to mine and pulled. I scrambled, and found myself blinking on the verge of a highway, surrounded by strangers, kindly strangers, their faces wreathed in smiles of welcome.

"Congratulations! You're on the way!" And though I didn't know I was hungry, they fed me, and though I didn't know I was naked, they clothed me. And though I didn't know I was lonely, they comforted me, saying, "We can't be with you forever; sometimes we have to follow different parts of the road. But we'll walk with you a while, and teach you what you need to find the way."

They pointed, and I really looked for the first time at the road. It seems to go on forever, and only parts of it are lit, sometimes by solitary lamps, streetlights, sometimes by campfires around which travelers gather to refresh and strengthen themselves and share their knowledge and experience of the road. It's an old, old course, and although in some sections the original pavement is as strong and smooth as ever, in others it is cracked and has almost been obscured by weeds.

They say that when I get to the rough parts there will always be other wayfarers to help me, that everyone who takes this journey is a member of an almost innumerable fraternity, as diverse as the lost hordes below, but united in their goal: to reach the Light.

I was wrong, you see: what I thought was Light was actually only a twilight, a resting place, a place to pause and read the guidebook, because there is one, and it glows of itself, is illuminated from within. They say that it was made of the true Light, and that's why we can read it and learn about the way. I'm learning to read, and in the meantime the others are telling me things, to help me get started.

Because: if you face the East, far, far away, you can see Something. I can't describe it, but it shines. It shines brilliantly, and beckons sweetly, and from that direction you hear the loveliest music ever composed, and from that direction comes the most marvelous scent, all the beautiful scents you have ever known, plus some more that you haven't, and once you have caught a glimpse of that something, a note of that music, a hint of that perfume, you want more than you have ever imagined you could want anything, to begin to put one foot before the other on the great road, to begin the journey to that sublime Light, the Light of all the worlds.

I'm new at this, and unsure of my footing. There are rules to ease the trip, to make it safer and more comfortable and swifter, and if one does not learn and follow them she is in real danger of slipping back towards darkness. I only know a few of the rules so far, only the basics, but I want so much to learn, and these wonderful people are teaching me, helping me, making me one of their number so that even when the time comes when we must part I will not falter, will not go astray.

Not everybody completes the journey, they tell me. There are distractions from below and from one's own heart; there are times when one is tired and discouraged and sick, when it is very hard to go on. There are the times when one must look at the guidebook and turn to others on the same path, to obtain advice and encouragement and admonition and direction.

But listen: all who make it to the Something will be reunited in love and companionship, and will live forever in joy, in that shining place, and never have to worry or to struggle or to slip or to cry again, and will never again have to fear the dark.

Cheektowaga, New York, USA
November, 1986

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Sister J & The Islamic Souls.com.is here:

In the Name of Allah, most Compassionate, most Merciful Visit Our Websitehttp://www.angelfire.com/electronic/islamicsoul *** Welcome to Islamic Soul Online Newsletter for 1 June, 2001. Asalamu Alaikum Everyone, I hope that you find this newsletter beneficial. JazakAllah Khair to all of you who have visited the website this past month and wrote me some lovely emails, I am happy that you like it. You are welcome to use the articles that you like. Also I was originally going to make a muslim weight-loss section in this newsletter. I am working on another website to deal with that and inshallah I will send you the URL in the next newsletter. BTW: I may be late with next months newsletter as I am expecting a baby at that time, please make dua for us inshallah.
~Sister J

WORDS OF WISDOM
`Abdullah ibn Mas`ood reported: The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam, said: Verily, among the signs of the Hour is that greeting (of Islam) is limited to those known only. In another report: A man will greet 'salaam' only to his intimate fellow.? (A sound hadith narrated by Ahmad)

In the Name of Allah - the Most Beneficent - the Most Merciful

The Importance and Methodology of Tarbiyah (Education & Upbringing) by Shaikh Ahmed Aways.

Tarbiyah in Islam is very important, for indeed all of the Deen is based upon tarbiyah (i.e. the education and upbringing of the people). This starts first of all with the education and training of our own selves, then of our families, and then of the community at large. But this tarbiyah is most important with respect to our children, so that they are brought up upon the correct path of Islam. Because of this, many of the scholars take care in discussing this aspect of tarbiyah more so than the others.

After the benefit of al-Islam and our very creation, from the best of benefits is that of having children. We see their benefits both in this world and after we have passed to the next. As for the benefits in this world - when a person becomes old and unable to earn a livelihood, all of his friends and companions leave him alone and it is his children who look after and care for him, bearing his problems and burdens. As for after his death, then a person benefits from his children as the Prophet said: "When the son of Adam passes away, all of his deeds are stopped except for three. Some kind of charity that is continuous, or knowledge which the people are benefiting from, or a righteous child who is praying for him."

Also from the benefits of having children is that if they were to pass away whilst still children, they will intercede for their parents. This is authentically reported from the Prophet , who said: "There is no Muslim individual, male or female, who has three of his children pass away whilst they are young and he is patient with that, except that they will come and intercede for him on the Day of Judgment." So 'Umar asked, 'What about two [children]?' Upon this the Prophet said, "It is the same for two [children]." (Al-Bazzaar, al-Haakim. Sh. al-Albaanee mentions it in his book, Kitaabul-Janaa-iz)

As for the person who has one child who passes away and he is patient with this, seeking his reward from Allah , then he shall also find a great reward with Him. As in a hadeeth wherein it is reported that the Prophet used to sit down in his sitting place and his companions would sit in front of him to seek benefit and learn from him. From amongst them was a man who had a small boy; he used to come to the Prophet from behind his back by way of respect, then he used to sit in front of him and sit his son in front of the Prophet . The Prophet asked, "Do you love this child of yours?" The man replied, "Yes, and may Allah cause you to love him also." Then it happened that this child passed away, and the man was so sad that he used to refrain from coming to sit with the Prophet .

So the Prophet asked his companions about this man saying, "Why is it that he no longer comes to my sitting place?" And this was from the Sunnah of the Prophet , that if he had people who would come to him and then stop coming, he would ask about their condition and their affairs. So the companions told him that the man's son had passed away and that he was sad because of that. So the Prophet went to meet this man and asked him, "What has happened to your son?" And the man told him that he had passed away. So the Prophet said, "Do you wish that your son could be here with you spending time with you, or do you prefer that your son would reach Paradise before you, waiting at the Doors of Paradise to open them for you?" So the man said, "O Messenger of Allah. I wish that my son would go forth before me and precede me to Paradise." So the Prophet said to him, "Verily, this is for you." So upon this, one of the companions said, "O Messenger of Allah, may I be sacrificed for your sake! Is this (reward) only for this man or is it for all of the people?" He said, "No, this reward is for all of the people (i.e. those who lose a child and are patient with their loss)." (Al-Haakim. Adh-Dhahabee declared it Saheeh as did Sh. Al-Albaanee)

Also from the benefits of having children is that if one has daughters and is patient with them, bringing them up correctly, then for him is a great reward from Allah. Our mother Aa'ishah said, "A woman with two daughters and who was very poor came to my door requesting charity. All I had was three dates, so I gave them to this woman and her two daughters. The woman gave a date to each of her daughters and kept the third date for herself.

But when the two daughters had finished their dates, they both looked up to their mother wanting the date which she had. So she felt mercy for her two daughters and split the date into two halves, she gave a half to each of her daughters and then she went away. When the Prophet came back I informed him about what had happened. He said, 'Anyone who has daughters and is good in bringing them up, then they will be as a barrier between him and the Hell-Fire'." (Bukhari & Muslim) It is obligatory for the parents to take care of their children as the responsibility for them is upon their shoulders. As the Prophet said, "All of you are shepherds and will are responsible for his flock."

Unfortunately, many of the people look down upon this affair of bringing up the children correctly and consider it as a small matter and unimportant, instead busying themselves which affairs such as politics and those things which it may be beyond their ability to reach. They look to those things which are seen as more important and so look down upon the affair of raising their children correctly.

In this, they are mistaken, as whoever the Imam or the leader of the believers may be, even if he was the most righteous of all righteous people and the most just of all rulers, if a person does not take care of their own affairs then no-one else is going to come into their house and look after their children for them. And if this Imam was the worst of all the people, yet a person was to take care of their own family as is his responsibility, then how is his harm and his condition going to affect that person? Allah says, "Verily! Allah will not change the good condition of a people as long as they do not change their state of goodness themselves." (Ra'd 13:11)

So it is upon us to change our own condition and the condition of our own families, and then to look to the condition of our communities and the community of the Muslims at large. For if we were to neglect this responsibility then we would never achieve the correct tarbiyah - training, upbringing and education - of our societies.

Indeed the Book of Allah (Qur'an) and the Sunnah of the Prophet encourage us to bring up our children correctly; ordering us with righteousness and good conduct ourselves as well as ordering us to prevent our families from falling into that which would result in their own destruction.

As Allah says, "O you who believe! Ward off from yourselves and your families a Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and stones." (Tahrim 66:6) And He says, "And enjoin Prayer on your family, and be patient in offering them (i.e. the Prayers)." (Ta-Ha 20:132)

The Prophet said, "Order your children with Salah when they are seven years old, and beat them upon it (i.e. force them to do so by hitting them) when they are ten years old, and (also) separate them in their sleeping place." So by the preceding Ayat and hadeeth, Allah and the Prophet teach the believers about the importance of Salah and worship, and also in the hadeeth the Prophet is teaching his Ummah about how to live this life free from all types of doubts and misconceptions, by avoiding those places and situations where such doubts and misconceptions may arise.

So the order is that one should raise one's children upon the most blessed and praiseworthy of characteristics. So what follows are some practical steps in bringing up the family correctly.

Seeking Righteous Children (go to islamicsouls.comto continue. back to TOP.