Malik bin Anas

Nick named Imam Dar al Hijrah - Imam of the House of Refuge, al-Madinah.
He is also known as the Emperor of the Empire of Hadith. According to Ash-Shafi'i, he is a dazzling star in matters of hadith. Imam Hanbal told his students to memorize only the ahadith of Imam Malik.
Yahya ibn Sa'id al Qatar said Imam Malik was a gift of mercy from Allah to the Ummah of Muhammad (s.a.w). Imam Abu Hanifah said, I have not seen anyone other than Imam Malik who gave quick and accurate answers and was superb in the work of scrutiny. Al Bukhari said the chain Malik has from an-Nafi' from ibn Umar is the most accurate. An Nasa'i said after the atTabi'un, none other than Imam Malik is more wise, venerable and reliable.

• Malik bin Anas was from a Yemeni Arab family. His grandfather, Abu Amir (r.a) was the first from his family to accept Islam at the hands of the Prophet (s.a.w). Thereupon the entire family moved to Madinah, where Abu Amir learned hadith and became a distinguished Taba'i. His narrations are used in the Sihah Sittah. 

---This is an example of therapeutic jurisprudence. A person who becomes Muslims or starts to practice Islam after many years of committing sins, needs a therapeutic approach. They need to move into an environment where they are motivated to comply with the teachings of Islam. This is enlightened self-coercion of sorts. Move close to a Masjid, pray in congregation 5 times a day. Surround yourself with Islamic books and CDs, schedule to reae and hear some bayaan daily. Delete all friends, who are a negative influence from the contact list, replace them with the likes of islamqa websites and Islamic conferences dates.Volunteer your time at Muslim NGOs, blog or make Islamic videos, reach your family and kids in the community with Islam.
---Abu Amir (r.a) didn't just move to Madinah and casually hear some ahadith every now and then, but he made a point to learn it at the level of excellence. Despite having many lofty Islamic goals, living in an Islamic environment and having good Muslim friends, we never get around to achieving our goals. We lack nothing except for commitment. Say we want to memorize the Qur'an or learn the Arabic language as our goal...ask yourself, are my daily activities, whether leisure or work, all geared towards reaching this goal? How will going to a movie or listening to Mishary, affect my opportunity to memorize the Qur'an? What are the costs and/or benefits of buying a dictionary when it comes to learning the Arabic language? Judge for yourself and make the pursuit of your goals, the center of your life. Believe in your potential and capacity. Create your own opportunities and push your limits. It requires extreme discipline so do not think negatively about yourself, it will only bring you down. Just keep at it - even if you do not see any results, keep going. It'll come to you and you won't even know it. Do you know how long it takes to become a professional Ballet dancer or pianist? Nearly 15 years! We read a chapter once from an Islamic book and expect the proficiency of scholars?

• At the time of Imaam Malik, it was from Madinah that ordinances and fatawa decided upon by the Fuqaha' Sab'ah were issued to the entire Islamic world. 

---Not that I mean to make any comparisons but for the sake sake of knowledge, perhaps Muslims would find it interesting to know that the Full Faith and Credit Clause of the US constitution Article IV, Section 1 addresses the states to respect the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state. The laws and legislature of all the states are constitutional, all interpretations and ratifications to the constitution are otherwise synchronized among the States. I am not advocating a single Masjid solution but can we have a conference of Masajid in every vicinity that only gives rulings based on the Qur'an and Sunnah? Can all the Imams coordinate before they conduct themselves?
---Every Muslim community must have a center of learning. Why not a Muslim community center or Muslim community complex of sorts? With a library, recreational facility, computer labs, marriage and youth counseling clubs, health care hubs and hospitals, halal and healthy restaurants, employment agencies, travel agents and boutiques, banking and business services etc. All in the heart of a Muslim residential area? Rome was not built in one day, it started as a single institution at first. Muslims should invest on an Islamic foundation in North America. The trusted names in the our community today are not only fraudulent (not providing halal service like many halal meat grocery stores) but also scams (the average tuition fee of a certified Islamic school is anywhere between $500 - $900 a month). Who can afford this much tuition for two kids or more? Same goes for Islamic clothing. $90 for an abaya that will wear off after a one wash? We lack quality, sincerity and unity.

• Imam Malik began his studies at the age of 6 and spent 62 years in the field if Islamic education. When he was a little boy, his mother used to put his turban on before sending him to seek knowledge. In class, he would learn the Qur'an. After completing his hifdh at age 8, he studied fiqh, arabic and hadith. 

---What is the age of learning? Apparently there is none. You can start as early as 6 or as late as 70 (our last breath).
---Are children too young to memorize the Qur'an? Should we learn the meaning of the Qur'an first and then memorize it? Children have extremely sharp memory. According to an article in American Baby Magazine, February 2000, p.36 entitled Total Recall, babies six weeks old can remember things up to 24 hours and remember things up to 4 months when they are 16 weeks old. Setting up routines on a daily basis is good practice for memory development. This establishes predictability, comfort and healthy expectations. Repeating the Qur'an will help children how to recite the verses and remember them. Think of your child's brain as a vacuum. If you do not give him/her the love of Allah and the Qur'an, he/she will suck in some other information.Carolyn Rovee-Collier, PhD, of Rutgers University said a baby can remember anything he/she does for eighteen minutes over three days.
Invest in homeschooling instead of Disneyland vacation. Learn the Montessori way of teaching and apply on your children along with Islamic knowledge. The math and science public schools will teach them in grade 5, teach them in grade 2. Introduce them to learning different languages so they are proficient in Islamic sciences (like read Tafseer Jalalayn by age 12) and in Da'wah (invite your Polish, German and Chinese neighbours to Islam in their colloquial languages). Public school health class may only cover sports like basketball and hockey, you can take them halal swimming, archery and horseback riding.

Adults can also improve their memory. We remember names, numbers, dates and places all the time. Why not memorize some Islamic knowledge? You are only as smart as the things you remember. The information in our laptops and notepads don't really come in handy if we have not internalized them. So nurture your brain with a good diet to strength your memory. Eat wholegrain foods like grains, breads, cereals, barely as they increase blood flow, especially to the brain. Eat walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews and almonds. They clear "brain fog" and enhance positive mood. Eat eggs, black+blue+strawberries, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, spinach, broccoli, tomatoes and drink green tea. Work out regularly, laugh out loud, be stress free and sleep in moderation. Get rid of the obvious distraction, like cell phone, TV or laptop. Deactivate facebook, block youtube and uninstall MSN if necessary. Answer your internal questions. What are you having for dinner? When is she going to call? Give yourself some answer (make it up if you have to) and move on. Keep a rubber band or ball handy. Stand and bounce the ball against the wall when thinking of an answer. Think out loud. It will help you concentrate. Stretch and snap a rubber band while writing the question. It will make you less jumpy. There are other ways to focus, find one that works for you and study.

Hadith Scholars

One thing I love about the ahadith is the human relation factor. The Qur'an connects us to Allah, fills us with the recognition and remembrance of the Divine. The Qur'an demonstrates that Allah alone is the Creator of life, Bestower of sustenance and provisions, the Originator of the heavens and the earth, the Possessor of Majesty and Honour. It is only in His power to forgive and have mercy. We are instructed by the Qur'an to guard ourselves from sins out of respect and obedience to Allah and from fear of His punishment. We are His slaves. We are hungry except only if Allah feeds us. We are naked except only if Allah clothes us. If the first of us and the last of us, the humans amongst us and the jinns were to combine together against Allah, we will not succeed in reducing from His Powers just as a needle dipped into the sea cannot reduce from its water. Everything in the universe submits to Him. He has the ability to destroy, punish and vanquish. He prevails over the universe with justice. He is the Supreme Judge, all rulings belong to Him.

Naturally, reading the Qur'an brings humility in a person. Awe, worship, prostration, submission, obedience, peace, patience and graciousness are the fruits of Qur'an. It will clean you from the inside and fill you with Sibghata Allah [2:138] until you are Rabbaniyyee [3:79]. Its amazing. Its like one Hadith Qudsi says, Allah becomes the hearing with which a person hears, eyes with which a person sees, hands with which a person touches and feet which a person walks.  The Qur'an can have such an effect. And life is not complete unless one has developed this closeness with Allah, the Lord Most Great and High. Nevertheless, studying hadith also comes with numerous benefits. Of them is relationship with the Prophet (s.a.w). 

Ahadith are the statements, approvals and actions of the Beloved of Allah, the Chosen, the Trustworthy, the Fountain of Guidance, Mercy to the worlds.... Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w). Every time I even think of Bukhari ... I feel a blanket of love around me. He (s.a.w) inspired me to seek knowledge and have faith in Allah. The revelation of Qur'an reached me though him (s.a.w.)! He (s.a.w) taught me how to purify myself for Allah and worship Allah in the right way. He (s.a.w) is my Hajj coach, my friend when I fast and my mentor when I calculate Zakkah. I learned from him how to bargain, deal with my debts and employment. If I ever want to garden, I can always ask him how to divide and cultivate the land, water the seeds and yield its fruit. He (s.a.w) encouraged me to give salam, avoid arguments and send gifts. Because of him (s.a.w) I look after my parents, neighbours, the environment and animals. He (s.a.w) is my marriage counsellor, my fashion and health guide. How can you not love him (s.a.w)? 

What is incredible about Bukhari is that through it, one is not only exposed to the manners and etiquette of the Prophet (s.a.w) in various circumstances but also his psychology. Ahadith are written time capsules, anyone who reads them is taken back to the Prophet (s.a.w). His every statement is so vivid and profound that anyone immersed in their study can visualize his personality. But lets be honest, we only wish we knew Allah on a personal level and that we had an ideal relationship with Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w). Even if we have attended many conferences and even attained ijazahs in Islamic theory, we fail in practical life. We listen to lectures and cry but when it comes to making decisions, we do what we feel like doing. There is no remembrance of Allah or even love for the Prophet (s.a.w). The nafs becomes number one!
I read a book on Hadith Scholars by Syed Bashir Ali, which is prefect to remedy the nafs. We need role models to discipline our excessive desires and focus our energy back to Allah and His Prophet (s.a.w). InshaAllah in this post (see links below), I will share stimulating incidents from the lives of classical hadith scholars. It is hoped that their commitment and enthusiasm for the Deen will become a lesson for us.

Allah says,

لَقَدْ كَانَ فِي قَصَصِهِمْ عِبْرَةٌ لِّأُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ مَا كَانَ حَدِيثًا يُفْتَرَىٰ وَلَـٰكِن تَصْدِيقَ الَّذِي بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَتَفْصِيلَ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ

"There is, in their stories, instruction for men endued with understanding. it is not a tale invented, but a confirmation of what went before it, - a detailed exposition of all things, and a guide and mercy to any who believe." [12:111] 

and

وَكُلًّا نَّقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ أَنبَاءِ الرُّسُلِ مَا نُثَبِّتُ بِهِ فُؤَادَكَ وَجَاءَكَ فِي هَـٰذِهِ الْحَقُّ وَمَوْعِظَةٌ وَذِكْرَىٰ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

"All that We relate to you of the stories of the prophets, - with it We make firm your heart: in them there comes to you the truth, as well as an admonition and a reminder to those who believe." [11:120]

The lessons from the lives of Hadith scholars will inshaAllah endue us with understanding on how to schedule individual lives. There are so many attractive acts of worship, so many sciences of study...how does one possibly choose which ones to pursue? Just see what the scholars did. Their lives confirm a balance between Deen and Dunya. Their desperate situations and encountering dangers give us resolve to fight the challenges in the way of serving the Deen. A overly demanding family, lack of finances or health, political upheaval... anything can be persevered with a little bit of patience and consistency.

Malik bin Anas

My last visit to Makkah

"For Your sake, I hurry over land and water:

for Your sake, I cross the desert and split the mountain in two, and

turn my face from all things, until the time I reach the place where I

am alone with You." - Arab Poet

Allah is Al Wadud (w-d-d: to love, to be affectionate) - The One Who loves. The One Who is the source of all love and loving kindness. The One Who Loves His Prophets and Messengers and those who follow them and they in turn love Him.
Loving  Allah is life itself, and to be deprived of it entails a terrible death; it is the light without which one would sail in a sea of darkness; it is the cure without which one's heart will be overwhelmed by a multitude of diseases; it is the joy without which one will remain in permanent grief; it is the essence of faith and deeds, without which they become like a soulless body.   


It might seem strange, in our time, to love ... a God. By God I mean, the Creator and Rule of the universe, the source of moral authority, the Supreme Being, One Who has power and control over nature and human fortunes. Bygone are those days right? Not quite. Even if people today do not believe in Allah; call themselves non-practicing Muslims or atheists, they still adore and admire some image, idol, animal or person as their god. Like worship money for instance, people's lives entirely exist around money. They live to earn and earn to live. Celebrities and scientists on television by are idolized as if they are divine. An average teenager listens to Naomi Watts and Kim Kardashian more than their parents, teachers and doctors combined...and yes it gets worst. In come parts of the world, animals are worshipped! And not the awesome kind like lions but foolish and odious animals like rats, monkeys and snakes are summoned for help and blessings.
A humanist will argue for freedom of religion. Agreed, every person is independent to determine their God. As for me, I worship Allah Who created the celestial bodies and the astonishing order to which they adhere, the incredible distances over which they travel and the unfailing regularity which they maintain, their intricate journeys through space in their orbits, their mutual attraction and their never wavering from the path chosen for them, no matter how complicated it might be. When I behold Allah's marvellous feats of creation, in space, in the gardens around me and in the Qur'an...it makes me tremble. I feel trepidation at the thought of Allah's All-Knowing and All-Powerful nature and Majesty. When I bow my head and say "Allahu Akbar", not only my lips but every particle of my body joins in uttering these words, "Subhana Rabbi al Adheem" .... "Subhana Rabbi al '3laa" I obtain incredible peace and joy from my prayer. Money, a celebrity...not even a pet can give you that.


We all believe in the universe. The universe did not come out of nothing. Whatever begins to exist has a cause, and since the universe began to exist, therefore it must have a cause, i.e. a Creator. It is irrational to ask, "who created the Creator" as some atheist do. Because an infinite regress of causes is impossible. Imagine I am a writer and I want to write a blog. In order for me to compose a piece, I must take permission of another blogger, but she must also ask another blogger, and she must ask another. Suppose this questioning continued forever, in other words an infinite amount of time... will I ever write a blog? The answers is no. In the way, an infinite regress of causes for the universe would mean there would be no universe in existence in the first place. So the universe has a single independent uncaused cause. 
Step back for a minute and think about this. The sun is 93 million miles away from the earth. How big is the milky way? About 150 billion light-years in diameter!!! Who can cause this to exist? Fine tune all the properties to support equilibrium and intelligent life?


I guess now is a good time to talk about monotheism vs. polytheism. Since there is no evidence to say the cause for the universe is actually a combination of two, three or even one thousand Gods, so the simplest and most comprehensive explanation is that this cause is One. Postulating a plurality of causes does not add to the comprehensiveness of the argument anyway. Life is engineered too systematically in this universe to even fathom the idea of multiple Creators.
Abi Al-Izz in his commentary of Aqeedah at-Tahawiyyah, "If there were two creators and they disagreed about something, such as one wanted to move X, whereas the other did not want it to moved, or one wanted to make Y a living being, whereas the other wanted to make it lifeless, then, logically speaking, there are only three possibilities. First, the wills of the two are both carried out; second, only the will of one of them is carried out; third, the will of neither of them is carried. The first case is not possible because it requires the existence of contraries. The third possibility is also ruled out because it would imply that a body is neither moving nor not moving and this is impossible. This would also imply that both of them are incapable or carrying out their wills, which would disqualify them from being God. Finally, if the will of one is realised and not that of the other, he alone will deserve to be God and the one whose will is not realised cannot be considered God.”


The cause or God must be unique, i.e. there are can be no similarities between the cause of the universe and the universe itself. If the universe is the sum of all matter, the cause of the universe cannot be IN the universe or LIKE the universe because it would lead to the absurd belief that the universe created herself. It's like saying, your mother gave birth to herself. Well sure, someone gave birth to your mother. But where did she come from? And where did her mother come from? And her mother? And the first person on earth? So the cause of the universe must be immaterial because it created the sum of all material – which is the universe itself. Furthermore, the 1st law of thermodynamics states “Energy cannot be created or destroyed." Energy or matter cannot create itself. So if the cause was material then it would defy this principle as it would mean matter and energy self create. So you can conclude that the cause of the universe must be immaterial and therefore unique.


Who is the Single, Independent, Unique and Uncaused cause of the universe? It would be nice if people read the Qur'an once in a while :) The Qur'an says,"It is Allāh who created the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them in six days; then He established Himself above the Throne. You have not besides Him any protector or any intercessor; so will you not be reminded? He arranges [each] matter from the heaven to the earth; then it will ascend to Him in a Day, the extent of which is a thousand years of those which you count. That is the Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, the Exalted in Might, the Merciful. Who perfected everything which He created and began the creation of man from clay. Then He made his posterity out of the extract of a liquid disdained. Then He proportioned him and breathed into him from His [created] soul and made for you hearing and vision and hearts; little are you grateful."  - 32:4-9. 
What is between the Heaven an the Earth? a young couple in love; a glowing mum-to-be; a new born baby; the laughter of a child; the joy when a family comes together for special events. Pandas, penguins, blue whales, spring lambs, a peacock's tail, a butterfly's wings, the patterning of a tiger. Colourful flowers and tall trees! Sunsets and rainbows? Or the blue of the sea? The myriad stars in the night sky? Mountains and lakes. Look at everything and contemplate.... the design, the colours, shape an function goes beyond what human senses and faculties can trace and explain. All these various mechanisms and its intricate details, and even their most minute parts, are adjusted to each other with an accuracy which ravishes into awe and surprise.  If we see a house,… we conclude, with the greatest certainty, that it had an architect or builder because we know that every effect must have a cause. But surely people will not affirm that the universe bears such a resemblance to a house that we can with the same certainty infer a a cause for it?
Suppose you find an electric purple Louis Vuitton bag in the middle of the mall. Would you assume that the bag has always been there? No ... your initial thought would be, someone lost it or left it there. Yet if we find a rock on the sidewalk we assume that it happened to be lying there without a cause or Creator, since forever. We are bias in our beliefs. We see and appreciate material things but never thank Allah for bringing them into existence. 

I cannot explain Allah, I cannot even comprehend Him. How can I explain Allah's Greatness? How can I describe the ecstasy of worship and feeling the Presence of Allah at His House? In my seven years of monthly visits to Masjid al-Haram, I felt and saw something there that, at least in this lifetime, I will never experience again, not even in my imagination. Its like the verse in Surah Kahf, if the seas were ink for writing the proofs for Allah's existence, the seas would exhaust before the evidence for Allah were enumerated. 

Sometimes we play intellectual gymnastics to rationalize the Divine, Sublime God. We are too insecure to allow our hearts to caress reality. As a kid I don't think someone sat me down and taught me metaphysical arguments for belief in Allah. I just remember stepping in the courtyard of the Ka3ba. The white marble floor, calm and cool to touch. We've all seen this courtyard: a picture, a television image, a film shot. They are used to symbolize Islam, used to advertise products, used to decorate rugs, rooms and hallways. I stepped into this courtyard, and suddenly, I remember the Masjid became this bright ocean. The solid, drowning hum of tasbeeh and tahleel  welcomed my heart and invited me witness and thus, bear witness of the Oneness of Allah.    

I can never do justice in articulating the thrill, wonder and humility that pressed upon me after gazing at the Ka3ba, Allah's House ... dressed with black sheets laced and embroidered with solid gold, floating amidst this galaxy of pilgrims in white ihrams. The walking pilgrims seemed a mass around this Ka3ba, performing tawaf. The crowd sucks you in, and you circulate with them, venerating Allah's Grandeur. You cannot help it. The intimacy and endearment pours from your heart. And in that moment you know that this is where you belong. Your soul has found its Creator, true Love, Purpose and Companion. 

Tiny birds caught my attention, speeding across the courtyard, busy chirping Allah's Glory over the humans. Even animals worship Allah :)

I thought about those tiny birds. This big, blackened box is the descendant of the structure build by Allah's Khaleel (friend), Ibrahim (a.s) and his son.. So too are those tiny birds the descendants of those feathered soldiers that protected this box from an army of elephants. Tiny fecal pebbles destroyed an army of charging elephants. Read Surah Quresh and Surah Feel; guaranteed a light bulb will go off in your mind and you will ENJOY spending time with Allah. 

 Going to Makkah is an opportunity to observe the state of Muslims in the world. What did I witness? We were hundreds of people congregating in garb that hid our class and blurs our ethnicity, our languages and colours. We were united for one cause, to worship the Cause of all things. We carried manuals explaining the rites of worship without providing any form of evidence from Shari3a except, in rare instances, partially quoted ahadith of Rasool Allah (s.a.w) and in rarer instances practically quoted verses from the Quran. The people turned to molvis for guidances, not realizing that they were ignoring Allah's Book in Allah's House. The precepts of Umrah ordained in the Qur'an and performed by Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) are much simpler than the methodologies of molvi so-and-so. 

And what was that they were reading from the Quran? Surah al Fatiha, Surah Yaseen, Al Rahman, and the Surahs from the 30th Juzz. Their reading was the reading of phonetics, not the reading of thought, reflection and understanding. Their reading was just as dead as most the paper of the diplomas, certificates and paychecks they have prostituted Islamic studies for.        

Sigh...

And how is the Masjid that houses the Ka3ba? Consider the K3aba: such a simple structure, made of brick, the first and model masjid. This building that surrounds it, however is itself but a museum, call on its observers to marvel at its towering minarets, marble pillars and beautifully decorated giant gates. And consider the guardians of the Ka3ba: the Saudi police. These officers, dressed in their tight, brown uniforms, wear such ironic badges. The center of the badge is an open, blank, book. Around the book are branches. At the topic is a crown. And on that book rests that mysterious symbol - an eye. Is it that the propesied Dajjal is here? Has he seized the Ka3ba, not to destroy, but to control - to control the hearts of Muslims? Thus, is it urging us to seek short cuts in the religion? Leading us to forget the massive academic and spiritual poverty inside and outside of the Masjid. Thus, are Muslism being urged to focus on rituals of Islam and ignore the realistic and pragmatic guidance and solutions offered by Islam to our contemporary lives. 

hmmm...Perhaps...Conspiracy theories aside: the tiny birds above, like this Ka3ba, like those pilgrims that arrive from everywhere, like the Quran that tells us about them, seem to be reduced to mere ornaments that we see and hear.

What are Umrah and Hajj? I have done each few times but did I perfom what I was suppose? Did I have the right intentions? Did I follow the correct methodology? Were my sins forgiven? Did I learn enough to change my life? Or were all actions and duaas a mere attendance at the different sites of Umrah - the Hateem, Muqaam al Ibrahim, Saffa and Marwa mountains etc.  

When all is said and done, I still think back to my last day in Masjid al-Haram. I tried to call on Allah for His bounty, almost all day, as He put it in my heart to do so. In that last hour, as the day set toward night, I stood there, as did so many others, facing in the dirction of that Ka3ba. The air was thick; the enivornment was strangely serene; the ongoing noise of conversation suddenly turned to silence. And we were praying to Allah. And I think back to the Tawaf around that holiest spots. It is so easy to forget Allah's commanding control when we are participating in the implementation of His will. Here at the Haraam, we submit but outside, we spend a lifetime disobeying Allah. Why the hypocrisy? 

I watched the tawaf from the top floor of the Masjid, and, like bugs at night to a light, couldn't help but stare. The giant whirlpool of people just kept turning and turning. And they were praying to Allah.

I came from Makkah, but I still feel as though I have not yet left. The Arabian life and the emotional security I perceived in its environment, specifically in the presence of the Ka3ba, formed my personality and behaviour, it moved my heart, filled my mind and gave me direction. Living in the desert and especially traveling through Makkah brings one closer to Allah. You don't need philosophical or scientific arguments to know Allah, you just feel Him. The desert gives you this feeling of absolute loneliness facing Allah. The feeling of absolute dependence on One Central Power. Masjid al Haram is always so crowded, its overwhelming  but refreshing. Even in the midst of all the people walking about, you cannot miss Allah's Holy Presence. I used to go there as a kid and even at that age I could feel it. My religion, character, history, and culture originates from this Masjid and its land. It is the spot of earth supremely blessed, a dearer, sweeter spot to me than all the rest. When I look at its pictures, I cannot help but retreat the path to my childhood and how Allah brought me to this beautiful religion, alhamdulillah. 

If my love is attached to Thee, then from whim I will be free.

Each time my heart will beat, Your Name will resound with heat.

With Your Greatness shivers my each limb, they seek to be released from sin.

Allah, Allah, is my hearts speech, Your Forgiveness is what I beseech.

The Most Merciful keep me content, with all that You have sent.

Keep in my heart Your remembrance, and in Your Deen allow me to advance.

Help me in my quest, permit me to pass the ultimate test.

Save me from the clutches of Satan, give me death upon Imaan - aameen. 

(islamicpoems.com)

Betrayed and Broken

 I bit my lip, betrayed my own eyes
fell short of perfection, became the epitome of lies.
Swam through an ocean, parted at the seam,
walked along a desert road, thinking it was a land of green,
it is easy to make my kind believe.

Unravel the ball of a deep deception,
Study it, memorize its motion.
Commission strength,
in a heart broken,
bleeding dry,
for a future that is passing me by.
Fixated with the past,
looking for moments to define,
what is there to life?
Any resolution or solution to a mixed fantasy?
Lost faith
Why do do I even try?

Be warned,
break the silence with a storm.
Doom will not disappear with tears
Struggle because you are a soldier, of Allah, be brave.
It was always meant to be this way.

The valley of disregard, its mine.
I live here, impervious to honest eyes.
Stranded, paranoid and suspicious...these feelings are justified.
The lethal wounds and emotional ambush are a symphony of daily  life.
Cast a thousand stones without  a crime, these blighted souls in righteous disguise,
Their assigning, rationalizing, spiritualizing .... is a facade, a mirage...it dies.
Forgive, be kind and sincere. Do good, give your best and Islam you should galvanize,
Seek only Allah's Face as the ultimate Prize.

Yes, I write poetry sometimes. In any relationship, betrayal is definitely a hit below the belt. You feel intense anger, hurt, bewilderment and shock. You just want to go to bed and never get up. You shiver and shake uncontrollably with grief and rage. Could this really happen? Is it true? Can a best friend divulge your secrets and use them against you? Can a sibling humiliate you? Can a business partner deceive you? Can a spouse walkout on his/her commitments? Can your confidante, someone you trust and understood .... plagiarize your idea? Rob you? Lash out on you? Threaten you? Yea actually it happens all the time.... The more we live and work with people, the more we will fathom the ugly side of  humanity. The more dedicated we are to a relationship, or to the Deen, to its studies and service, the more people will erode our faith, hack our intentions, swap our sincerity and excitement with stress, fear and anxiety. The more they will exploit our insecurities and vulnerability. Its brutal and depressing...but its true! What are you going to do? Write poetry? It doesn't help, trust me. 

Yes, humanity is far from perfect. Even as individuals, you and I are not exactly ideal either. Ergo, we should never do anything, expecting honour, honesty and mercy in return from people. Because human beings, myself included, cannot maintain these lofty qualities all the time. We are not intrinsically capable of eternal sympathy and selflessness. It is unrealistic and unfair to demand such a thing from a person. 

I was moping and mad over some hardcore betrayals from from my closest colleagues and friends a few days back until I discussed the meaning of سورة الفاتحة with  some kids. 

Yeah kids...what do they know right? Its sad many adults scuff children off thinking what will these hooligan understand? What do they know about the world? Its none of their business anyway! Kinda like Finster during Recess. To tell the truth, its grown-ups who don't know. We are lost. Kid are cute, frank, poetic, spiritual, smart, athletic, unprejudiced and best of all...curious. Kids are always searching for novelty, for adventure...They are easily fascinated with even the most mundane of things. They want to learn and explore. Some will run to the end of the park before we have blinked and others will ask "why, why, why" a dozen times. They mean well; give them a chance. 

Asking them to stop bothering you or giving them answers like "I said so" will just retard their motivation for real knowledge. They will hop along to Mama Montana and Daddy Dwayne (The Rock Johnson) for advise and to idealize. Children are gregarious by nature. If parents don't give them company, they will make friends with the likes of Franco and Farrell, they will bow their heads to Justin Bieber and Bernie Mac. Then parents wonder why kids misbehave? Why they get into dating, drugs and apostate? Parents run after this Imaam and that Shyakh. Where were you when your kid wanted to to talk to you? Why did you switch on the television and sit them down in front of half naked Tarzan, lying  Pinocchio, King of thieves Aladdin, lazy Sleeping beauty...Snow White who lived with seven guys and Cinderella who would come home after midnight?

So some kids and I were talking about the meaning and lessons in الفاتحة This Surah really is curative for those whose hearts are cut in half. We sort of induce these aches and outrage upon ourselves. We let people become our God; the center of our aspirations and hard work. We serve them and seek their affections when the ultimate Praise, Thanks Love, Respect and Obedience rightly belongs to Allah. We are miserable when we become slaves to the people when we should really be submitting wholeheartedly to Allah. 

Being bitter over a betrayal and backitting is only going to burn our good deeds. I know it is hard and will take a lot of practice but try this...instead of pulling your hair over how bad someone behaved with you, emerse yourself in Allah's Benevolence and Beneficence. Forget everything about the person who betrayed you for a second...do you who Allah is? We throw around the ayah الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ in every occasion but do we know what it means? 

الحمد is from محمدة which means to praise...to praise Allah because of Excellence, His Exaltedness, Superiority, Goodness and Uniqueness. ََتحمد means to express favour. Allah expresses His favours upon ups through infinite gifts and blessings we experience everyday.

رب is from ربا which means the One Who sets right, brings in correct position, One Who makes beautiful in smell and appearance. One Who manages and takes care. He Owns and Controls.

رب بالمكان is to lead and to call to order, to support and strength, to make pleasant and remove from it everything that is foul, defective, obscene or upsetting. ربب تربيبا الولد - to raise someone and look after them until they reach the age of maturity. To educate, train and discipline; to grow and nurture. 

Allah is رب He created the universe and continues to sustain it. He nurtures every living soul. He thrives from infancy to maturity. He gives us support and strength. He made us beautiful and pleasant in body and in purpose. 

Allah is الحمن الرحيم .... Not just Merciful and Compassionate but رحمة / مرحمة / ورحما  - which means to have a soft heart, to be generous, kind, caring, lenient and understanding. Its like looking after a baby - a mother does everything for her child out of love. From carrying it for nine months, give birth, feeding it, changing its diapers, putting it to sleep...when its older, teaching it to read and write, to walk, teaching it from right and wrong. The mother forgives her baby for sticking for burping...for its ignorance. She aches and grieves for her baby. She feels hurt when her baby is hurt, she feels happy when her baby is happy. The Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) said Allah loves His servants more than seventy mothers could love a single child !!!

الرحم والرحم is to be close, to be intimate. To have nothing in between but the best interest of the other person in heart. Also refers to relatives. To be and treat like family. To be very near and dear to heart, to be very protective. The link between Allah and us is a based on oceans of mercy, love, peace, reassurance and well being. Look at the universe, the night sky, the stars, the pandas and bears and butterflies, rabbits and roses, rivers and strawberries...Allah created this for us, out of His mercy. One time this woman lost her baby and she was frantically going from person to person in search of her precious thing. When she finally found it, she caressed it with love and kisses. The Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) asked the companions if they thought this mother would ever cast her baby into the fire. They said no. The Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) said likewise Allah will never [unjustly] cast His servants into the fire. Allah created us for Paradise...Adam (a.s) originated in Jannah so Jannah is our real home. 

الله is from اله which means to worship, to obey, to devoute oneself to and surrender. To take as God, Deity and Owner الهت عليه is to turn to Allah with love and obedience. الاله / الهة is the One God Who is Worshiped. 

Good times are always followed by difficulty. With hardship there is ease. 2005 - 2009 were the best years of my life. 2009 - 2011 however were quite rough. Where I found tremendous guidance, mentoring, closeness and love from a person, I also found people who tried to misguide me. They mowed me down with their venomous jealousies, greed and politics. They lied to me, they tried every rancorous means to do away with me. Everyday was warlike with them. I was tense all the time, becoming increasingly pugnacious because of their attitudes....but I thank Allah for this. He brought me to my knees through these people so that I would come closer to Him. 

Keep Allah in your heart and you will be in heaven wherever you go. Peace will never leave you, even if you were betrayed, imprisoned or exiled or killed. You don't need people in your life...Allah is sufficient for us in every way. Think about who Allah is and all Allah has done for you in your personal life ...  do you need people? Should it even matter what people have done? Then let go of your anger or revenge. Allah will take care of your enemies on يوم الدين. Remove the rage and disgust from inside of you. Replace them with altruistic feelings; be motivated to learn, tolerant of others, confident in doing good deeds and optimistic of Allah's reward...because your commitment is not with people, it is with Allah. Your life and death, your grief and happiness...is for Allah. Don't settle for any person. Don't be disheartened by any organization. Become a one man show. Even after you give up on everyone, try again one more time for Allah. When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. Stick to Deen ka kaam like a stamp sticks to an envelope and grow into it like a nut grows into a great oak tree.

Back pain

Killing, Miserable, Torturing, Cruel, Punishing and unbearable....that's lower back pain for you. One minute you are sitting in class, taking notes on Machiavelli and his thoughts on building a principality, and the next minute you have this stabbing pain in your sacral spine. Its like someone is cutting your lumbar discs (the fourth and fifth part of your vertebra) and ligaments .... its bitter and agonizing.
Pain can greatly incapacitate a person. Like I couldn't walk yesterday at all. The pain in my lower back was so scathing, it paralyzed the left side of my body, waist down. Every time I tried to lift my leg, it felt like my bones were being smashed and crumbled against each other. We all had cavitities when we were kids. If you ever had a tooth pulled out or got braces, you know you can't speak for days. Everything from your gum, your tongue and jaw to your ear and your brain hurts. You can't even open your mouth. Then there is migraine... brittle pain throbbing in the head. It makes you all woozy and nauseous until you pull your hair, throw up and/or pass out.

Pain made me remember how delicate the human body really is. The tiniest thing can disturb your system and destroy your life. Like slouching or sitting for too long, playing intense sports or sleeping on a broken mattress, skipping meals or taking unnecessary stress - all these things seem like nonissues but they add up over time and before you know it, you are in bed, crying and praying to Allah for health. Because if you are sick, you can't go to school or go see your family. You can't offer Salah with khushu or spend time on da'wah. Who wants to live all crippled and dependent?

My advise to everyone is...take care of yourselves. Maintain your health, eat properly and sleep well. No I don't mean cake and coke or twenty minute power nap on the coach. I mean bread, lentils, chicken, milk, salads and fresh fruit juices. Sleep 4-5 hours at night etc. Work out everyday - even if it is a light jog and weight training. Your body is your weapon. You need it to do the work of your dreams, so build it accordingly...

My other advise is...remember Allah. Wallahi when you are in pain, you think of nothing and no one else except for Allah subhana wat3ala. Usely when we need advise, we call our teacher. When we are eating, we miss our family and friends (how does it feel to have iftaar alone? yeah....) But when we are in pain, we want to be as close to Allah as possible. The Prophet (s.a.w) said that Allah has declared that "He is with those who remember Him" -Bukhari. Our hearts find rest and comfort when we remember Allah, الا بذكر الله تطمن القلوب - Qur'an,13:28.

From the deeds that was most beloved to the Prophet (s.a.w) was saying, سبحان الله والحمد لله ولا اله الا الله والله اكبر - Bukhari.

If you want Allah to forgive you, protect you from shaytan... if you want to do a deed that will fill the scales on the Day of Judgment, that will enter you in Jannah and save you from hellfire....then remember Allah :)

The Prophet (s.a.w) said, whoever recites, لا اله الا الله وحده لا شريك له, له الملك وله الحمد, وهو علي كولي شيء قدير a 100 times in a day will receive a reward of a 100 good deeds and forgiveness of 100 sins and protection from shaytan - Bukhari and Muslim .

Prophet (s.a.w) said saying, سبحان الله وبحمده, سبحان الله العظيم will be heavy on the scales (it will fill the scales - Allah knows best) - Bukhari and Muslim.

Saying لاحول ولا قوة الا بالله is from the treasure of Jannah - Tirmidhi.

Saying اللهم اجرني من النار seven times delievers one from hellfire (if one dies the same day as making this supplication). - Abu Dawood, Mishkaat.

We have all this free time walking up and down the stairs, room to room, making the bed, taking out paper, doing the dishes, waiting for lecture to start....we let our mind wander aimlessly during these moments. Remember Allah...talk to Him, thank Him, glorify Him, ask for His forgiveness, ask for His blessings and you will never feel alone or helpless or unhappy inshaAllah. If you take the Handhold of Allah, it will never break.
The pain reminded me that Allah is always with us with His Knowledge. Even when we forget Allah, He Sees us, Hears us and He is aware of everything we do. لا اله الا الله وحده لا شريك له له الملك وله الحمد يحي و يميت وهو حي لا يموت بيده الخير وهو علي كل شيء قدر There is no one worthy of worship except Allah, He is no one like Him. He is the Master with authority and ownership, for Him is all praise. He is the Everliving, the Everlasting. He gives life without dying. In His Hand is goodness and He has power over all.

You will notice some people will break a nail and lamenting, "O Woe is me" while others will go through something a million times more severe and still smile. They'll praise Allah in every condition. الحمد لله علي كل حال,
Why? Because...
حسبنا الله نعم الوكيل Allah is sufficient for me (because) He is the Best of Trustee.  بسم الله توكلت علي الله لا حول ولا قوة الا باالله In the Name of Allah I rely and surrender myself. There is no strength besides Allah. No matter what happens, there is no reason to panic or loose your cool because rest assured, it is from permission of Allah. Say, اعوذ بعزة الله و قدرته من شر ما اجد واحاذر - l seek refuge in Allah's Honour and His Authority from the harm that I face and fear. Yes, I admit, there will be times we'll feel bleak and frustrated. Like because of my back pain, I was thinking about this kid who had Spinal Muscular Atrophy. He was in a wheelchair since he was two years old. All sorts of crazy ideas were storming my head. What if I can never walk again you know? From time to time, we might get "what if" thoughts...Again turn to Allah,
 يا حي يا قيوم برحمتك استغيث O Everliving, Everlasting, I seek your help with Your Mercy.

Alhamdulillah I am getting better. I am grateful that I had this experience. It helped me realize how much I need Allah; for every second of my existence, I lean entirely on Him.

إِنَّ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَالْمُسْلِمَاتِ وَالْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ وَالْقَانِتِينَ وَالْقَانِتَاتِ وَالصَّادِقِينَ وَالصَّادِقَاتِ وَالصَّابِرِينَ وَالصَّابِرَاتِ وَالْخَاشِعِينَ وَالْخَاشِعَاتِ وَالْمُتَصَدِّقِينَ وَالْمُتَصَدِّقَاتِ وَالصَّائِمِينَ وَالصَّائِمَاتِ وَالْحَافِظِينَ فُرُوجَهُمْ وَالْحَافِظَاتِ وَالذَّاكِرِينَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا وَالذَّاكِرَاتِ أَعَدَّ اللَّهُ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةً وَأَجْرًا عَظِيمًا

Indeed, the Muslim men and Muslim women, the believing men and believing women, the obedient men and obedient women, the truthful men and truthful women, the patient men and patient women, the humble men and humble women, the charitable men and charitable women, the fasting men and fasting women, the men who guard their private parts and the women who do so, and the men who remember Allāh often and the women who do so – for them Allāh has prepared forgiveness and a great reward. [Qur'an, 33:35]

Internet Suicide

Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? - from The Shadow (1930–54)

• A woman in the doctor’s waiting room natters on facebook over her QWERTY blackberry bold 9930 keyboard with liquid graphics.
• A man stands in line at starbucks, gapes at BMW E36 car race on his 3G wireless Motorla Xoom.
• A child on the swing in the playground wears Altec Lansing BackBeat 903, listening to Party Rock Anthem by GoonRock.
• A girl on the treadmill at the gym runs as fast as she can, as Steve from BBC interviews Imram Khan on the 24-inch Toshiba LCD Television.
• And you: maybe your ipad 2 is running out of battery as you scroll over this article while copying your homework assignment from portal.utoronto.ca
  
  

 Yes, technologically, we have come a long way. Doing research online, command + F beats digging through page after page of books in the library, for sure. Microsoft is better than pen and paper, it can auto spellcheck for you and you don't have to worry about writing your c's and e's clearly. No need for a rule or a protractor either (lol does anyone even remember what that is?) Excel can do your charts and graphs too. We can speak to our friends faster on facebook; read their statuses and laugh at their avatars. Youtube can yield virtually everything you yearn to watch. I don't deny the benefits of the internet but I cannot help but count the disasters. The internet has made us the most procrastinating, time-washing, lazy and lost generation.
The internet has taken over our lives. We are prisoners of the world-wide-web. Everyday we are caught in the scrim of endlessly updating facebook images, wiki articles, BBC news and youtube videos. Even when we come online to work - subconsciously, we end up opening twitter, Tripadvisor.com, and iTunes.  We are checking news, blogs, games, shopping catalogues, and our emails - ALL THE TIME - in class, on the bus, at the dinner table, while doing homework, right before going to bed, right after waking up. Look around you right now...there are things beeping, buzzing, clicking, ringing or flashing.

Whatever happened to doing homework and cleaning to house? Joining some animal welfare or environmental awareness group? Practicing martial arts? Cooking for your family, getting to know your neighbours, learning a new language?  Are we happy with this internet overdose or more comatose? Is the internet making us more creative and productive? Or are we coming online to kill time, to sit around and do nothing?

I wish I could punish myself more than with just words.

Look at the sahaba, awesome in their aqeeda, fierce in their ibadah and magnificent in their manners. They had grandeur in their spirit, strength in their body, vigour in their speech. In comparison, we have so few of these traits We have an abjection and contempt to learning,  especially learning the knowledge of Allah's Oneness. Talk about shaykh fulan and peer-baba so-and-so, we will be all ears but whenever Allah alone is praised and singled out for worship - how quickly we take offense, how abruptly we get bored. Our salat are delayed and performed in haste. When was the last time we prayed in congregation or recited something longer than qul hu Allahu ahad in the second rak'ah? Our spirits are easily seduced by the sales, our bodies are filled with bicarbonated coke and speech? Yes our speech is brilliant. We can aggressively make a point, no matter how ill-informed we are on the subject. There are forums after forums of volatile debate on the internet. Each user will offer an intense view, microwave his/dinner, eat and go to sleep. There is no action ... and I am guilty of of this too. 
 
Muslims in are enslaved in Somalia and India, servile in Libya and Syria, scattered without a leader in Pakistan, without an organization in Egypt, beaten in Palestine, despoiled in France, ripped apart in Cuba and Iraq, overrun in US and Canada; all in all, Muslims are prey to every sort of catastrophe, even natural disasters....and I am facebooking? I am checking my email? I SUCK! I should have never been born! :( What good have I ever done online? :( You know things are not going to get better if we just live on the internet. 
 
I had a chance to work with a wonderful group of brothers this past summer for the Journey of Faith conference. I see a glimmer of hopein these individuals. MashaAllah they are extraordinary, they study full time, have jobs, teach, manage their families .... know what is happening in the world and are working hard to make it better. From them, there were some who invited the scholars (from emailing them, going over their lecture topics and descriptions, picking them up at the airport to doing their hospitality and ushering them to the stage), some who trained the du'aat, others drove to churches, temples...you name it and they went there mashaAllah with invitation letters, set up the table talks room, fed the entire time and still others who gave invited non-Muslims to accept Islam for 8 hours at a stretch, without eating or drinking or even sleeping the night before. It was incredible subhanAllah, to just witness these industrious labour. I am so inspired, I do not have words to say....
I pray that through them Allah will redeem this Ummah. That they can heal the wounds of shirk, put an end to the politics in Masajid, and cure the sores which have been festering the youth in our community for so long. I pray that they can redeem us from our character cruelties and insolence...that they raise the banner of Da'wah for others to follow. May Allah favour them with illustrious abilities and fortune aameen. 
 
In the words of Machiavelli, “the sea has opened up, a cloud has shown you the path; the rock pours forth water; it has rained manna here; everything has converged for your greatness. The rest you must do yourself. God does not wish to do everything, in order not to take from us our free will and that part of the glory which is ours” p. 163. Allah has prepared this world for valuable work. Correct your ibadaah and deeds, behave benevolently with people and busy yourself with something beneficial. 

For this, you might have to give an obituary online; commit an internet suicide of sorts. No cartoons or car videos on youtube, no facebook, gmail or news. Then what? 
 

You know there aren't as many (or any) Muslim doctors and lawyers? Sure you hear this clique that parents force their kids into med-school or engineering but in the past 10 years, I can't honestly say I came across these professionals. Alhamdulillah, universities are full of Muslim students. Just come to any one of my political science classes, guaranteed you'll find 60% of the lecture hall fully engaged by Muslims. Then were do these Muslims go after they graduate? I have cousins who have degrees in biology, banking and business etc. So where are Muslims in the playing field? Are we just earning to buy a Kensington Palace or Pogani Zonda one day? Is it enough to marry a righteous spouse and send your kids to hifdh school? Khalas after-wards? Why are we satisfied with the bare minimum? Where are the Allama Iqbals, the visionaries for the 21^st century? Where are the Muhammad bin Qassims, the liberators of our times? Where are the Quaid-e-Azams, the builders and reformers of nations? Jago Jago Samlon Yaaro ye waqt ney shor machaya...

A Case for Education

Why do you educate? We live in a time of high anxiety. Despite the world's unprecedented total wealth in the West, there is vast insecurity, unrest and dissatisfaction at home.  In the United States, a large majority of Americans believe that the country is “on the wrong track.” Pessimism has soared. The same is true in many other places. Against this backdrop, one my reconsider going to school. The relentless pursuit of a high school diploma or degree is leading to unprecedented stress rather than greater happiness. Is education worth the pain? Will we ever use it in life?

This is the question we as Muslims need to address on an international scale because it seems that we all have our own approach to education. For some its obvious, its a social obligation. The first thing we say to people after telling them our name, is our qualification - i.e. what we do. I am an undergrad student, I just started grade 9. I am a biochemist, I am graphic designer, I play hockey for the NHL (lol. you wish). No one likes a dummy, someone who knows nothing and does nothing. I think we call those guys hobos or bimbos? Once Umar (r.a) saw a man sitting in the Masjid continuously for a few days, upon asking him the man said that his brother supports him financially while he worships Allah at the Masjid. Umar (r.a) threw him out saying go work for yourself and don't become a burden on anyone.
Another predictable reason is money. No one will hire you if you haven't finished school. So if you don't want to end up in a burger joint covered in grease serving fries and ketchup all your life for $6.00 an hour then I guess you better study something that would pay better and look better. It is not to say that everyone should take business courses in in grade 12 IBT or apply for Osgoode Hall law school. In Islam, every area of study and field of work is respectable so long as it is halal. Restaurant business for example is highly celebrated. The Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) said that "the best Islam (the best Muslim) is one who تطعم الطعام feeds others" [Bukhari] and that "غرفا تري ظهورها من بطونها the lofty rooms of Jannah are for those who feed the needy." [Tirmidhi] In Islam even a plumber and a janitor is dignified because "cleanliness is half of faith" [Muslim] and "Allah loves those who purify themselves." [Qur'an, 2:222]

Okay, back to school. We need an alternative, holistic approach to going to school. Sometimes social acceptance and big bucks are not enough motivation. Just imagine your own mental health after three, three hour lectures back to back in one day. You are so brain dead after that, you can't even walk straight. Or the level of your compassion when you are trying to pull an all night-er for an assignment and your mom asks you to help in the kitchen or the local Masjid calls you to volunteer for a food drive. Yeah! Like that's ever going to happen? SubhanAllah, this is exactly why we should be going to school, to grow as persons,  to become more cultured and community oriented.
Even some parents don't realize why they are sending their kids to school. Like I heard parents saying, they can't wait for school to start; they can't wait to have some peace and quiet in the house after a long, tiring summer with the kids. Yes, children can be a handful but schools are not babysitters. Firstly kids get out of control when they have nothing to do. A proper schedule and a polite instructor can make a world of a difference. Secondly, we can't just throw our kids in a classroom for some seven or eight hours in a day for twelve to sixteen years of their lives without knowing what they are learning and who they are learning it from. A bad subject, like biology only taught around the theory of evolution, or a bad teacher, like a gay professor - can make an atheist or a homosexual out of your child. In English class last year we read Skim (graphic novel) about a Chinese immgrant girl who had a lesbian teacher. Let's just say things happened between the two and by the end of school year, the teacher was fired and girl turned lesbian.

Now you might be thinking, forget public school, I'll just homeschool my kids. Islamic schools aren't really affordable, they aren't even Islamic to begin with. I'll just keep my kid at home and teach them myself. Sure, that's a great idea but it doesn't really work with everything. Even if your child learns Arabic grammar at the age of eight and the hypotenuse theorem by nine, they not know how to use it in their life. They may not have confidence to reach out to other people and help them with their knowledge. In order for children to be pragmatic with their studies, they need to see practical examples. School is a place where young people learn how to think with each other, how to jointly puzzle over a problem, how to make sense of discordant views, how to arrive at consensus. School is a place where the world can open up -- mine certainly did -- through learning history, geography, and literature, but also through the people you meet and a growing sense of where you fit in the scheme of things. School taught me to self-reflect, to think with words and numbers, become systematic and methodical, edit/improve upon my weaknesses and of those around me, to make friends etc.

Even if kids are homeschooled till grade 12, they won't have the luxury to do the same when it comes to university. At least by university you have to decide why you are going to school and what you are going to do once you are in. Which path are you going to take over the other? Well here is my justification...one of the top schools in the world has created one of the most powerful societies in the world. You see, a society is only as good as the sum of its parts. If you fix, or in our case, educate all the parts (people) of society, together they can build a titanic state.
Take for example the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. It is Israel's oldest and best university to date.  One of the visions of the Zionist movements was to establish the state of Israel via the Jewish University. So in 1884, the groundwork was laid and in 1918 the facility was opened at a gala ceremony attended by the leaders of the Jewish world, distinguished Jewish scholars and public figures including Earl Balfour, the former UK Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary, Viscount Allenby, British soldier and administrator to expeditions lead against Syria, Palestine and Egypt during 1918. The First Board of Governors to the Hebrew University included Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud, Martin Buber and Chaim Weizmann. I hope you are realizing a trend here? The world's best Jewish men of academia, diplomacy and military opened a haven of courses from communications, analytical chemistry, economics, geography, law, philosophy, to psychology,  archaeology, history and computer science to breed a unique brand of progressive Jews. It was this intelligentsia that produced Israel. This university not only prepared the paperwork for the country but it fought in many wars against Arabs to preserve the country.

Do Muslims have any university that can do the same? For every Jew in the world there are a hundred Muslims. There are 57 Muslim countries in the world, with only 500 universities put together.  There are over 600 universities, colleges, schools and learning centers in Israel alone. India by itself has over 8,407 universities (Pakistan has only 127 - though both countries were founded just a day apart from each other. Clearly the Indians focused on education, we didn't). 90% of the Western world is literate while only 40% of the Muslim world knows how to read or write in their own language. 40% of the 90% of the Western population attends universities and only 2% of the 40% of literate Muslims go to university. After the military complex, the Western world spends most of its GDP on research and development while the Muslim world only spends 0.2% of that on the same. We also produce the least amount of books, we innovate (and know how to operate) the least amount of technology, or any other product that is of social service. It is not to say that there are no hard working people anywhere in the Muslim world. No there are many exceptions, Dr. Farhat Hashmi, Dr. Zakir Naik and Dr. Bilal Philips have done a lot in the field of education but obviously we cannot let the world's weight rest on their shoulders. More people need to rise and take responsibility. Did you know that the most used language on facebook is Arabic! What are all these Arabs doing on Facebook when we need them to protect Palestine? Pakistan has more than a 100 million cellphone users, 6.2 million Twitter users, 4 million Facebook users and 3 million bloggers. Like WOW! We don't have food or electricity in Pakistan, don't have education or employment but we have all these tech-savvy social-networking outlets for millions of people?

This is what I mean by why go to school when you can get a part time job anywhere to get by and catch the latest gossip on the internet? So long as you look good (and with a credit card, everyone looks good) and know how to say what you want to say in a way that others listen, you are respected in society. You might look at someone with a Yves Saint Laurent New Rive Purple Gauche Handbag  and wish you had that and she may look at you in your sugar and spice long layers, dramatically side-swept bangs and chocolate and ginger colored strands and wish she was you. What else is there to life? Let someone else go to school and do all the hard work. Let them build nations and bring peace.  You have better things to do?

I hate that the fate of the world rests in corrupt hands. I mean once, there used to be men like Umar (r.a) who he would stay with his people all day and stay with Allah all night. He would say, "If I sleep by day, the subjects might be harmed, and if I sleep at night I might be lost."
One day a young lady followed him from the market place. She said, "O Commander of the faithful! My husband has died and I have small children. I am the daughter of Khifaf bin Ayman Al Ghifari who witnessed Al-Hudaibiyah with Allah's Messenger (s.a.w)." Umar (r.a) welcomed her and loaded her camel with two big sacks of food and clothing. He said, "Take these and Allah will send you another before it ends." Someone near by objected and said to Umar (r.a) that he had given the woman too much. Umar (r.a) said that her father and brother besieged an enemy fortress for a long time until Allah gave them victory and we took their wealth.
It touches your heart, doesn't it? A stray woman with no social backing was able to demand her rights, straight from the Khaleef himself without any political campaigning or propaganda. The Khaleef on the other hand, respected her and honoured her wishes on the spot. There was no long bureaucratic bakwass. He didn't ask her to wait in line, call his secretary, fill out a form, bring proof for her husband's death etc. The best part is that Umar (r.a.) remembered her father and cousin. He ruled over an Empire that stretched from Spain to China. He must meet thousands of people everyday and subhanAllah look at his benevolence, he remembers each and everyone of them. I appreciates the good that they did and extends his kindness to not only them but also their families. What a man, subhanAllah. He didn't even take credit for his altruism, he said to the woman, "Allah will send you more." He encouraged her to trust Allah with all things, He is the One Who provides so don't be impressed by anyone who is helping you, Allah deserves thanks.
At another time, Umar (r.a) was doing hospitality for some out of town folks. At night when he was standing guard outside, he heard a baby cry. He found his mother and said, "Fear Allah and do good to your child."  When he returned to his position, the cries lapsed into silence. At Fajr time again he heard the baby cry so before going to the Masjid to lead the prayer, he visited its mother and said, "Aren't you a good mother? What is the matter with your child?"
SubhanAllah! Which President on this planet would tread back and forth in the city to welcome and host refugees or immigrants? I know fathers who don't care if their own son/daughter is crying or dying in the next room but Umar (r.a) was aggrieved for a stranger's baby and he went to his mother twice, beseeching her to be good to him, i.e. nurse him. Even if fathers bother with their kids today, its never to see whether they have eaten. Its only when its report card time will the dads ask why you got a 89 instead of 99. Dude if you are never home to help your kids with homework, don't even except them to pass. And when they are older, they hate you - they can't even stand to look at you, don't wonder then where you went wrong.

Needless to say, we need men like Umar (r.a). Men with his rigid simplicity, utter self-effacement, scrupulous regard for duty, intense devoution to his people, absolute trust and fear in Allah and strength. Ghandi said, "The best thing to happen to India would be to be reigned by a ruler as just and upright as Umar bin Al Khattab". Until a men like him can come along, I guess a radio clown like me should stay in school so I can, only with Allah's help, do a minuscule fraction of what he used to.
You know the sahaba (r.a) would teach their children about the ghazawaat like they would teach them the Qur'an. The ghazawaat gave the children heroes to emulate. One is to read several books on seerah and try to follow the examples as much as you can at a personal level. The other is to go to school inshaAllah to implement the sahaba's principles professionally; use our careers to reenact their lives. Which is more grandiose?

Go open your mind, inflame your heart. Lose some sleep, wander in the libraries. Chase your professors, write essays. You might become something big inshaAllah.