Focus on the Deen: No Room for Envy and Rivalry

Envy is a movement killer. It think it is probably the most fundamental danger facing Qur'anic revival moments and organizations since the last 50 years and counting. 

Envy is the feeling of unhappiness at the blessing and talents of others. It is a painful and often resentful awareness of the spotlight enjoyed by others. It is a faith-rotting sin, it eats our faith from the inside, like a gnawing worm. In the grip of envy, you cry over those who are celebrating their success and laugh over those who are being thrown under the bus. It is a disease of a shrivelled, diseased heart. 

We can live in one of two tents; we can live in the tent of discontent and envy or in the tent of contentment and solidarity. If we are not content with what we have, we are covetous of what others have.  Envy is a subtle chameleon with many famous. 

Over the past two days, I witnessed seemingly good Muslims relentlessly attacking the character and work of Ustadh Nouman. Some of them were local Imaams and Ustadhas who used to masquerade as his students, plagiarizing his work to deliver their own Khutbahs and speeches for years. Over night, they took to righteous indignation against his alleged crime. 

If you all remember, 30 years ago, there was NO  renowned Qur'anic revival movement or organization in North America. Sure there were a handful of religious personalities who propagated the Sovereignty of Allah through various Towheed and Aqeeqah courses but there was no English speaker, with unfathomable grace and clarity to explain the Qur'an to the masses. There was no "movement" of Qur'an centered theology, worship and preaching. 

When Ustadh Nouman started giving Qur'anic talks in 2006, his Tafseer because addictive worldwide. He was the first to deliver Qur'an-entranced, Qur'an shaped vision of life to the millennials. Many of us have grown to learn and love the Qur'an because of him. Sure alhamdulillah, there are hundreds of Islamic institutes and thousands of Muslims orators today, doing a great job teaching various sciences of Islam - fiqh, Arabic grammar, Seerah, Hadith, History etc. However, Ustadh Nouman  is the only teacher dedicated to planting Quranic rooted, Qur'an exalting lectures in the English language in the World. He has taught and benefited the Muslim world for the last 20 years like no one else. In turn, we cannot tarnish his reputation and his work based on suspicious. He is an asset to us. We need him, he doesn't need us. 

From the events that unfolded this week, it is clear his success bred envy, and along with it rivalry, competition, covetousness, territorialism, and resentment. When there was a famine of Qur'an teachers in North America, the rise of Ustadh Nouman was a welcome sight; Bayyinah Institute was an oasis in our parched land.  Allah gave him prosperity, and made the understanding of the Qur'an blossom in the desert of our hearts. Instead of being filled with gratitude to Allah for his Tafseer, so many people and preachers became resentful of the Qur'an-besotted crowds he procured, and the affectionate likes and prayers he earned across the social media. 

In general, secular Muslims love to watch Islamic figures fall flat on their faces. It gives them a chance to demonize the Deen and justify their ungodly lives.  Their arguments are mostly circular and a fool's errand. But Muslims who grind the rumour mill, hardest and fastest against speakers outside their schools-of-thought, are the most offensive. 

It is one thing to disagree with Ustadh Norman's Qur'anic point-of-view and theological conclusions. We are all free to choose any religious interpretation and lifestyle we want. We can actualize our faith in any shape or form, we are not compelled to hold on to the opinion of any one speaker. But to begrudge his gifts and talents, to resent  his success, blessings and opportunities, is envy.  To question his sincerity and motives with glee in our eyes , to silently gloat when his work is discredited, to feel delight when he is attacked, is envy. 

Muslims hating on other Muslims is reductionist and counterproductive. We can have our disagreements in Aqeedah or a split Eid every year  but we are all essentially one body. When one group of Muslim becomes envious, arrogant or intolerant of another group of Muslims, we all suffer on the whole. Worst of all, the image of the Deen suffers. 

This week  when certain people maliciously gossiped and wrongfully  judged Ustadh Nouman, they were essentially projecting their own immoral and religious depravities on to him. Then they proceeded to bask in their own glory about how 'they knew he was corrupt all along, which is why they never liked listening to him.' They salivated over the outrageous and ambiguous allegations made against him as they warned each other against holding any spiritual leader on a high pedestal. 

 They manipulated small, innocent details of Ustadh Norman's personal life into a scandalous story, then invited people to come and revel over it on Facebook. But their scandal did not sell. There was no dirt to be dredged out. There was no darkness to shine the light of justice. Nothing to apologize for. The haters had no evidence, just a lot of envy. They wanted to break him and by that extent, a very effective Qur'anic movement.

We live in a finger-pointing world. It has become very easy to punish someone online - pour out every single speck of their existence, then magnify their small missteps into capital crimes. For this reason it is vital that we protect our Qur'an teachers from being falsely vilified so that the work of Deen is not ruined. The Deen cannot be taught and practiced  in a corrosive environment. 

To the people who took to Facebook and slandered Ustadh Nouman, you are not amateur detectives, please stop playing 'Law and Order' in the comments section. Islamic teachers are not inherently evil, stop looking for clues that will destroy their lives' work. If you disagree or disapprove of their scholarship, find yourself another mentor. Don't make up accusations and rip their reputation to shreds. If we are serious about wanting to improve the world, treat everyone, even the people you don't know or don't like, with respect. 

To the people who claim to be victims of an Islamic teacher, please go to the police. Don't become a schoolyard bully by asking your family and friends to gang up against the preacher online. You deserve restoration and justice which only Allah and the police can provide. Publicizing the scandal will not heal your personal tragedy. 

To the scholarly colleagues of Ustadh Nouman and aspiring scholar(s) who benefit from his work, why didn't you say,  مَّا لَيْسَ لَكُم بِهِ عِلْمٌ وَتَحْسَبُونَهُ هَيِّنًا وَهُوَ عِندَ اللَّهِ عَظِيمٌ  It is not right for us to speak of this, Glory be to You (o Allah), this is a great lie (scandal). A scandal is greatly offensive to Allah  وَهُوَ عِندَ اللَّهِ عَظِيمٌ  After the incident of Ifk, Allah warned us against making a scandal public, if we are truly believers يَعِظُكُمُ اللَّهُ أَن تَعُودُوا لِمِثْلِهِ أَبَدًا إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ.  (Qur'an, 24:15-16) Lest tomorrow, God forbid, someone photoshops pictures of you and turns you into a predator, then we can call a spade a spade and a scandal a scandal. 

To the average bystanders, please do not join the mob. Public outrage and defamation is more exhilarating than compassion but it does not bring any good. It makes you a liar and a hypocrite for instigating unfounded libel. Pause before you fire and stand in the shoes of the Muslim lecturer you are writing off. 

 There are several examples in the Islamic history of the righteous being accused of wrongs they did not commit: Shaykh Nasir udDeen Albani, Imaam Bukhari,
Yusuf (a.s): As a servant, he was accused of attempted indecent with the wife of his master. 
Aisha (r.a): She was accused of having relations with a man who brought her back to Madina when she was lost in the desert wilderness. 

If you are familiar with these stories, you know that Allah tested them and then worked out their situations for the good. Allah does not ask us to take other people' track records in our own hands. Our job is to fix and improve our own Deen. We don't have any personal responsibility over the shortcomings of others.  

I pray that we love the glorious Quran and its teachers, and not be consumed with envy or enslaved to our suspicions and jealousies. Instead may generosity and good will enlarge our hearts to be happy when other Muslims learn/teach/practice the Deen in any capacity. 

What does it mean to be free?

Dear Kathleen Wynne, LGBTQ community and Transgender rights movement,

In a liberal, democratic society, freedom should mean that I can practice my own moralities without you forcing your morality on me. It means you cannot force me to agree with your opinion and act on it.  I should have the right to live my personal life as I see fit. In my home, I should be free to think whatever I want and make my kid as religious as I want.

Freedom means I do not have to be complacent to your politics. I can reject your pseudo-science without being turned into a bigot or a phobic.  I don't have to let your ideology shape my worldview. I don't have to swallow your belief system. I can be my own person.

Thank you,
Sincerely,
Free-woman. 

Life gets in the way of Writing

I thought motherhood was a boisterous career. I will mold a young mind and raise her to be a productive member of society, an exceptional genius. While this may be true in the long run, (or at least I hope), for the time being, I am just preventing her from hitting her head against the wall, over and over again.

Before I became a mom, I really wanted to have a baby with whom I can share my world. Now I am constantly grabbing things away from her and pulling stuff out of her mouth.

Before I became a mother, words used to just flow out of me. I wouldn’t even have to think about what I was writing, words just came to me naturally, like breathing. Then life happened, and pregnancy happened and a child happened and suddenly it is impossible to even construct a sentence without soothing a tantrum or foiling a suicide attempt.

Writing isn’t as easy as putting pen to paper. It means I turn on my laptop then get called to change her diaper. I think about the topic and title while giving her a bath.  The opening paragraph is brainstormed while I sing and dance in an attempt to feed her lunch. I jot a few lines on a napkin or the margins of a newspaper as I chase after her across the hardwood floor before she puts the laptop wire into her mouth.  Then I finally have a moment to myself at 3 am when she is asleep but my mind is too exhausted to conjure any sense so I sink back into bed beside her.

It is difficult to have a writing career and a child simultaneously.

But here is to trying and never giving up … Cheers!

Eid Mubarak 2017

Eid is here with all its joys and festivities. I went all out year in pursuit of the real meaning of Eid. Long before Ramadan, I did all my gift shopping. I bought decorative lights the year before.  Hung balloons in every room; boasted an Eid Mubarak Banner at the entrance. Waited an hour in line for mendhi. Dressed ,my baby doll in the finest clothes and jewelry.  Organized games for kids in the basement. Captured pictures of every breathing moment. Yes, all this was my Eid and it was great alhamdulillah. But Eid is more than that, much more. 

Eid is a time to show our great love and gratitude for Allah. Eid is a time to celebrate the healing and renewed strength, He has allowed me to experience in Ramadan. Eid is a celebration of the great mercy and guidance He have given in the Qur'an. 
Eid calls us to love one another, to renew our faith and bring hope into ur lives and the lives of others. 

The Birth of a Mother

Today, a woman became a mother... my mother.
June 23rd marks the date my mom began her lifelong endeavour to raise her one and only daughter, me. She changed diapers, rocked me when I was sick, wiped my head when I had fevers, washed my clothes, made countless breakfasts, lunch, dinners, walked me home from school, made my art projects, taught me what was right and wrong, endured my crazy teenage years, loved genuinely, worried and prayed...a lot!

My mother gave me these and many more priceless gifts.

Today, I honour her and say with the most full and loving heart, thank you Ammi for bringing me into this world and giving me so much of yourself.

Ramadan and Allah

Qur’an helps us rediscover our Emaan in Allah!  Who is Allah? In Surah Tur, chapter 52, verse 43...

Do they have gods other than Allah. SubhanAllah. Glory be to Allah who is far more perfect than everything that is worshiped beside Him. We say SubhanAllah! Glory be to Allah – but what does it really mean?

Subhaan – means swimming, regular calculated actions to stay afloat in the water. The tasbeeh of Allah, Remembering Allah is what keeps us afloat in this world – in the midst of all the exams, accidents, frustrations, breakups, distractions, temptations and tragedies, remembering Allah, swimming back to Allah give us strength and momentum to cope, to survive. It gives hope, courage, new beginning and new happiness.  If we stopped swimming in a pool, we would sink and drown. If we failed to remember Allah, we would spiritually and morally die and perish.

Subhana lil Jabaruti wal malakuti wal kibreeyaa i wal adhama

Adhama – Allah’s Name Al Adheem is from the same root as adhama which means for something to be strong, firm and solid. This is why the bones are called idhaam. Al Adheem means Someone Who is constantly Strong, Firm and Solid, Unshakable, Dependable, Reliable, Unbendable. This is a quality and attribute of Allah.

Subhan is how absolutely Perfect is the Possessor of Might and Power

Jabarut is from the root word jabr, which means to apply pressure to something

The Name of Allah, Al Jabbar is from the same root. All Mighty, All Powerfull. The Compeller, The Irresistable.

Malakuut comes from the word milk, or Maalik which means ownership and Owner

Malakuut is a bigger word, it means, absolute total ownership of everything. Malakuut refers to the ownership of tangible and intangible for instance emotions, health, sickens, conditions, beauty, popularity, emaan and kufr. Allah is the Owner of everything and anything.

Kibreeya comes from the same root as Akbar, Greater. Allah is Greater – no matter what you bring in comparison to Allah, He will remain Greater.

Allah’s Greatness is such that He cannot be ignored, greatness that surrounds us, greatness that is everywhere – and we witness it all around us. For Allah alone is the manifest greatness in the skies and the earth.

In each and everything on our planet and beyond in the universes, there are numerous, countless miraculous signs that tell us that Allah is One and He is Alone. Someone challenged a Bedouin to bring proof for his belief in Allah (li kuli da’wah daleel – for every claim, there is evidence. If you claim that there is  Allah, give evidence. Since the beginning of human race, belief in God has always been the default position).

The Bedouin said, camel droppings tell you that a camel was here, (if you go a park and you see poop in the grass, what does it tell you? A dog was here!). Footprints in the sand tell you that someone walked by here. So the earth full of trees, the sky full of stars, the ocean full of waves. Doesn’t this tell you that Allah is there?

           

The Prophet saws passed by a Bedouin man who was praying to Allah, the prophet saws stopped to lean in to hear him make duaa like an observant teacher. He was saying, “O You the One Eyes cannot see in this world, minds cannot comprehend his greatness. People cannot praise him as He deserves to be praised. Situations do not change Him. He does not fear the passing of time. He created time. He created all the mountains in the world, He knows their exact weight. He created all the oceans in the world and He knows their exact volume. He created rain and every drop falls from the sky with His permission. He created all the trees and all the leaves on each tree. He knows their exact numbers. Every season comes and it is replaced with another season by His permission. Allah created you and me. He knows all those things that the day illuminates with its light and the night hides with its darkness. One sky cannot shield another sky from Allah. One ground cannot shield another ground from Allah. And a mountain in its deepest darkest cave, cannot hide anything from Allah. And the ocean in its depths and darkness cannot hide anything from Allah. O Allah, make the best part of my life, the last part of my life. Make the best of my actions, the last thing that I do in this life. And make the best of my day the day when I return and meet you.”

The  reward of the fasting person is meeting Allah. The Prophet (s.a.w) informed us that there are two pleasures – two sources of happiness for every fasting person. Obviously the first is when we break our fast – our hunger and our thirst is satiated.  After a long day of holding back, even the simplest of food and water taste extra delicious, and it makes us feel really good. The second pleasure and happiness for a fasting person is when we meet Allah and see the reward that Allah has saved for us. This will make their hearts burst with joy. The Prophet Muhammad saws said if happiness could kill people on the Day of Judgement, they would die out of happiness that day. If you are just excited about Eid – just the shoes, or mendhi or jewelry then you ain’t seen nothing yet son. Fasting almost guarantees that we will meet Allah. O Allah give us the pleasure and the delight of seeing Your Face aameen.