Convert Connection

I’ve added a new page directed to the audience of recent converts to Islam and/or those looking to convert. I’ll be updating the page from time to time with lots of fun things about Islam and also on a more serious note essential videos and lectures on why Islam is the Truth, etc.

Also I hope to establish a way for recent converts and/or those serious about looking to convert to have a sense of community. If you want to share ideas – perhaps start a group blog – please leave a comment.

I will be honest that I am not a scholar in Islam. So if you have questions that are I guess you would say pretty advance, its best to talk to someone of more knowledge – look to the ‘Resources’ page above. Islam has the answer to pretty much everything – I firmly believe that Islam even has an answer to all of the problems in the world today – from hunger, to poverty,the environment, and to homelessness, and more. Muslim’s care about these issues. One of the five pillars of Islam is Zakat (almsgiving) – giving back to charity and the world that we live. This is one of the most fundamental aspects of Islam and what it means to be a muslim.

Light

Contemplate on this wonderful verse from the Quran Surat Al-Nur (34-35): Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The similitude of His light is as a niche wherein is a lamp. The lamp is in a glass. The glass is as it were a shining star. (This lamp is) kindled from a blessed tree, an olive neither of the East nor of the West, whose oil would almost glow forth (of itself) though no fire touched it. Light upon light. Allah guideth unto His light whom He will. And Allah setteth forth for mankind similitudes, for Allah is Knower of all things. (35) (This lamp is found) in houses which Allah hath allowed to be exalted and that His name shall be remembered therein.

Being a Muslim; Being a Leader.

Our Ummah needs our generation to be visionary leaders, who adhere to the Quran and Sunnah, who uplift our sisters, brothers, families and the society around us to prosperity, and who stand up for justice everywhere. We are a generation that has grown up in the dot.com era. Through the abundance of resources such as the internet, we have a greater access to information 24/7 and a greater opportunity to connect with people all over the world. I strongly encourage you to be a prominent factor in defining our generation of muslims – physicians, politicians, businessmen/women, teachers, health professionals, engineers, computer programmers and so on– who will change this world for the better. We need to realize that we are here for a greater purpose – to serve Allah(swt) and in doing so to better ourselves and the society we live in.

Our economy, as all of you know, is in a recession; the darkness of greed, fraud and other unethical traits that led to this recession also permeated countries all over the world. Just by picking up a newspaper, the deception and injustice that has spread throughout the world we live in is blatantly obvious. But there is reason to be hopeful –Islam. As Muslims, we are the carriers of the message of Islam that has been passed onto us by past generations – we carry the light and high ethical standards because of the knowledge of the Quran and Sunnah that Allah(swt) has bestowed upon us.

We need to realize that we should not hesitate to become involved in standing for justice. And we should work towards being leaders who spread knowledge. I have begun to look into what it takes to be a leader in a world where it’s so easy for us to get distracted. Here is some insight to help you stay focused (some of which are from my own experiences or things that I have come across that I would like to share). What I have highlighted below are current things that you can do NOW that can help you define and/or work towards your vision and goals in your life.

1. Always be on the Lookout for Opportunities

• Find Freelance Work – http://guru.com/
• Non-Profit Work - http://www.idealist.org/
• Get involved with your Local Masjid
• Be in the moment so you don’t miss something

2 . Be Innovative – Ideas to Change the World

• Brainstorm a list your favorite hobbies – see if you can turn it into something bigger
• Blog about something you care about
• Write a book
  • Literature is powerful – it’s a part of our culture and it can move society
  • Self Publishing Made Easy – http://www.cafepress.com/cp/info/sell/books.aspx & http://www.lulu.com/
• Create a Documentary
  • Start off small – For example participate in the Linktv Contest – http://www.linktv.org/onenation

We also shy away from sharing our aspirations. I see life as a dynamic setting where we can learn from one another. I believe that we are all leaders in our own unique ways. And leaders thrive not only on self-motivation but also by the inspiration they draw form those around them. Share your happiness with those around you, who knows, inshallah you might inspire the brother or sister next to you to reach new heights.

[I edited my original article in Al-Nur to reach out to all Muslims, not just my prior intended audience - college students]

Simplicity – Vision and Light

I feel that I’m searching for something in life. Something to fulfill who I am as a person. I want to achieve the pinnacle of success where I am intune with both my passions and my talents. However, its hard to get somewhere if you don’t know where you are going. I think the first several months of this year are going to be some of the most important in my life because I’m searching within myself to find where I belong in this world. I’m in the process of creating a vision inshallah. And in order for me to find out what that vision is and what my ultimate goals are, I need to first discover who I am as a person – my likes/dislikes. You think that this is something easy. At least for the longest time, I though the same as well. But its not. I was rather shocked last week to learn something new about my self (about my personality). You won’t come to these realizations until you go through an experience. If you don’t know what I’m talking about don’t worry – one day you will. Life is truly a journey of self-discovery and lifelong learning.

What I feel the Muslims of today are lacking is vision. We need to set goals and reach new heights. Of course nothings possible without Allah (swt); so be steadfast and firm in faith as you continue on your journey in life. Whether you are a working mother, a business traveler, a housewife, a teen or a college student, what I believe we all need to accomplish to make this Ummah the best it can be is 1) to be steadfast in our faith and 2) to have a vision. We need to have a vision that embraces the fact that Allah(swt) put us here on earth for a greater purpose. We need to have a vision where we are lifting society around us.

[Now I'm going to digress a little just to make a point and help you clarify what I mean.] For example, Oprah (I know you are probably like..what?.. read on to understand my point) is at the pinnacle of her career, she had the vision to become a top talk show host, she understood who she was and where she came from and she worked tirelessly to make it to the top. She isn’t self-made though. The term Self-made itself is deceptive. Don’t think for a moment that she was self-made or any one of us can be self made successful people. There are so many people around us that have helped us become who we are today. And as such, there were so many people in her life that helped her to reach her goals.

But as inspiring and remarkable as her story is, one sad truth that I took away from watching an interview she did in 2006 – she said that she does not feel ‘fulfilled’. Can you believe it?

The first thing that went through my mind when I heard this ‘is well – duh’! you’re not fulfilled because you don’t have Islam.You really don’t know what the future holds for you because you don’t know anything about the hereafter. Oprah is one of the most well known top 5 most powerful women in the world, and today she’s around 50ish, still wondering to herself – ‘Whats next for me?’. I’m not trying to be mean to her, as a person I thinks she’s wonderful – she has a great show where she tries to connect with people and help people watching her show lead better lives. (Don’t make the assumption that I watch her show – I don’t; I’ve only seen it a few times. =])

However, I think she needs to be honest with herself. One of the core themes of her long running talk show is trying to find Faith and hope. In all truth, many principles like how we should treat those around us, the concept of fulfillment and God, etc. that she mentions has striking similarities with Islam. For example, she said in one of her interviews that she believes that there is a greater purpose for her in life, she wants God (aka Allah) to ‘use her’ for a greater purpose. That is exactly what Islam is about! What is a Muslim? A muslim is a person who ’submits to the will of Allah(swt)’. We believe that Allah (swt) has a greater purpose for us. And no matter how much we achieve in this life, we know that we will meet our lord on the day of Judgment in the Hereafter.

So I think I got carried away, this post was actually suppose to be on simplicity. Whether or not anything I said above deals with this topic is your own judgment call (it probably doesn’t lol). Recently, I’ve been very interested in grasping an understanding of why I get so excited when I see light. Yes, light. The most basic blessing that is all around us. In my chaotic world with classes, papers, exams – ‘light’ has just seemed so beautiful – so peaceful. For now, it seems like the only elment around me that has an inner peace that I’m attracted to – the simplicty of blessing. Allahu Akbar!

One Month Down, Eleven to Go

Its the beginning of a new year and the first month is already almost over. I hope that inshallah you may have spent some time thinking about goals for this coming year. We must always keep hope and faith strong. Even though we are not guaranteed anything in this life. We should still be wise and practice our faith and set goals to make ourselves as successful as we can possibly be. At the end of the day we must always acknowledge that for Allah(swt) is the disposer of all our affairs. And only He knows what is best for us.

The only thing that we are guaranteed in this life is DEATH. So be wary of that fact that life is short. Make the most of it in prayer, contemplation and actually taking action to help yourself become a better person and those around you.

Always think about your life. Thinking is good.

Ask yourself – Why did this happen to me? Why don’t I like that person? How can I reach from point A to point B? How can I help someone? What will my actions now affect my future?

If you don’t contemplate on life, then its hardly worth living. Life is such a blessing, it is so beautiful and sacred. What do you hold sacred to your heart? The values of the people around you? Do you aspire to achieve what they have achieved? Do you aspire to live your parents dreams? Or do you aspire to meet the expectations of those around you? Are you going to be the person who defines themselves within limits? Or are you going to be the person who defines themselves in a faith that is everlasting and are you going to rely and trust ONLY the most Highest Companion (Allah(swt))?

Humans are interesting creatures. We love many things in life – the food we eat, the new car in our driveway, the clothes we wear. And something we have always been curious to investigate is the notion of living forever. In history there have been stories of a ‘Fountain of Youth’ where one drink of its water will grant a person immortality. Even though today we know this such Fountain is just a story and untrue, the notion of living forever still seems appealing. Islam is the only faith that defines a way to reach this ’supposed’ state of immortality. After death – the life of the hereafter, is the life that we will live in FOREVER. In comparison to the HereAfter, this life is like a coffee break. We need to realize NOW, that we must start to prepare for the Hereafter. And in order to prepare we must stay strong in our dean Islam.